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LCS    ANGH_i_o.  CALL 


BERING'S  VOYAGES 
VOLUME  I 


AMERICAN  GEOGRAPHICAL  SOCIETY 

RESEARCH  SERIES   NO.     I 

W.  L.  G.  JoERG,  Editor 

BERING'S  VOYAGES 

An  Account  of  the  Efforts  of  the  Russians  to 
Determine  the  Relation  of  Asia  and  America 

BY 

F.  A.  COLDER 

IN  TWO  VOLUMES 
VOLUME  I: 

The  Log  Books  and  Official  Reports  of 

the  First  and  Second  Expeditions 

1725-1730  and  1733-1742 

WITH  A  CHART  OF  THE  SECOND  VOYAGE 
BY 

ELLSWORTH  P.  BERTHOLF 


AMERICAN  GEOGRAPHICAL  SOCIETY 

BROADWAY  AT  I56TH  STREET 

NEW  YORK 

1922 


r-  'o  "-  fn  o 


COPYRIGHT,    1922 

BY 

THE  AMERICAN  GEOGRAPHICAL  SOCIETY 

OF  NEW  YORK 


CONDE  NAST  PRESS 
GREENWICH,  CONN 


\3  A    CrS 


TO 

PROFESSOR    EDWARD    CHANNING 

OF 

HARVARD    UNIVERSITY 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

^  Preface ix 

-s 

^  Part  I 

^;  '^               The  First  Expedition,  172S-1730,  and  Its  Setting 
I    The  Geographical  Kno\\xedge  of  the  North 
Pacific    Ocean    at    the    Beginning    of    the 
Eighteenth  Century i 

N        II     Bering's  First  Expedition,  i  725-1 730 6 

0         III    GvozDEv's  Voyage  to  America  in  1732  ....         21 

"i  i . 

^  Part  II 

The  Second  Expedition,  iyjj-iy42 
IV    Bering's  Second  Expedition,  From  Its  Inception 

to  the  Beginning  of  the  Sea  Voyage     ....       25 
3^      V    The  Log  Book  of  Bering's  Vessel,  the  "St. 
(^  Peter,"  and  of  Her  Successor,  the  Hooker 

"St.  Peter" 36 

VI    Lieutenant  Waxel's  Report  on  the  Voyage  of 

the  "St.  Peter" 270 

VII    The  Journal  of  Chirikov's  Vessel,  the  "St. 

j  Paul" 283 

^     VIII     Chirikov's  Report  on  the  Voyage  of  the  "St. 

Paul" 312 

IX    The  End  of  the  Expedition 328 

Note  to  Accompany  the  Chart  of  the  Voyage 
OF  Bering  and  Chirikov  from  Kamchatka  to 
the  Alaskan  Coast  and   Return,  1741,    by 

THE  LATE  ELLSWORTH  P.  BeRTHOLF 33O 

Bibliographical  Note 349 

(Index  to  both  volumes  in  Vol.  II.) 


'^ 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Fig.  Page 

1  Section  of  a  map  by  Guillaume  Delisle,  17 14,  to  illustrate 

contemporary  knowledge  of  the  North  Pacific    .   facing         2 

2  Facsimile  of  part  of  Peter  the  Great's  orders  for  the  first 

expedition,  with  comments  in  his  own  handwriting    .    . 

facing         7 

3  Map  showing  route  of  the  first  expedition  from  St.  Peters- 

burg to  Bering  Strait     10 

4  Facsimile  of  a  manuscript  map  showing  the  route  of  the 

first  expedition  from  Yudoma  Cross  to  Urak  near 
Okhotsk.  (Drawing  by  Spanberg  in  the  Russian  ar- 
chives.)     facing       13 

5  Copy  of  the  eastern  section  of  the  map  accompanying 

Bering's  report  on  his  first  expedition.  (After  Ball's 
facsimile.) 14"^  5 

6  Facsimile  of   Berkh's  map,   1823,  showing  route  of  the 

first  expedition  from  Okhotsk  to  Bering  Strait  and 
return facing       20 

7  Facsimile  of  a  manuscript  map  of  the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter 

and  St.  Paul  (Petropavlovsk),  1740.   (Drawing  by  Elagin 

in  the  Russian  archives.)      facing      34 

8  The  Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul.    (From  an  old  en- 

graving)  facing       35 

9  Facsimile  of  signatures  of  Bering  and  his  officers.    (From 

the  log  book  of  the  5/.  Pe/er.- entry  of  May  4,  1 741.)    .    .       39 

10  Facsimile  of  a  page  of  the  log  book  of  the  St.  Peter  kept  by 

Yushin:  entry  of  June  7,  1741 facing       52 

1 1  Facsimile  of  a  page  of  the  log  book  of  the  St.  Peter  kept  by 

Khitrov:  end  of  entry  of  September  5,  1741,  with  map  of 

the  Shumagin  Islands facing      148 


viii  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Fig.  Page 

12  Upper:  An  Aleut  in  his  baidarka,  or  skin  boat.    (Drawing 

on  the  chart  of  the  voyage  of  the  St.  Peter  by  Waxel  and 
Khitrov  in  the  Russian  archives.) 
Lower:  A  native  of  Unalaska  in  a  baidarka.    (Drawing  by 
Levashev  in  the  Russian  archives.) facing     149 

13  Facsimile  of  a  page  of  the  journal  of  the  St.  Paul:  entries 

of  July  10-15,  1741 facing     290 

14  A  man  of  Unalaska.  (Drawing  by  Levashev.)      .    .  facing    304. 

15  Left:  Inside  and  outside  views  of  native  hut,  Unalaska. 
Right:  A  native  woman  of  Unalaska.    (Drawing  by  Leva- 
shev.)   facing    305 

PI. 
I  Chart  of  the  voyage  of  Bering  and  Chirikov  in  the  St.  Peter 
and  the  St.  Paul  from  Kamchatka  to  the  Alaskan  coast 
and  return,  1741,  based  on  the  log  books  and  other  orig- 
inal records  and  adjusted  to  known  physical  conditions. 
Mean  meridional  scale,  1:5,500,000.  By  Ellsworth  P. 
Bertholf facing     348 


PREFACE 

The  discovery  of  the  northwest  coast  of  America  by  the  Rus- 
sians deserves  far  more  consideration  than  it  has  yet  received. 
Our  information  on  the  subject  is  very  fragmentary — a  chapter 
here  and  a  chapter  there  in  the  histories  of  the  Russian  Far  East 
and  the  American  Far  West.  This  neglect  is  due  not  so  much  to 
lack  of  interest  as  to  lack  of  material  and  to  the  peculiar  problems 
which  the  handling  of  the  material  presents.  But  these  difificul- 
ties  are  gradually  disappearing,  and  it  is  now  possible  to  under- 
take a  task  that  twenty  years  ago  seemed  out  of  the  question.  In 
this  work  the  author  has  made  the  actors  tell  their  own  story  of 
the  discovery  of  the  northwest  coast  of  America.  It  would  have 
been  worth  while  to  bring  together  all  the  interesting  material 
relating  to  the  subsidiary  voyages  of  Bering's  second  expedition 
— the  voyages  of  Spanberg  to  Japan  and  the  explorations  along 
the  Arctic  coast — but  neither  time  nor  space  permitted  it. 

Volume  I  includes  an  account  of  the  log  books  and  reports  of 
the  navigators,  and  Volume  2  deals  with  the  journal  of  Steller, 
which  throws  much  light  on  the  second  expedition  and  furnishes 
valuable  scientific  data.  In  the  translation  the  terminology  of  the 
navigators  has  been  retained  and  their  ideas  faithfully  rendered 
in  so  far  as  it  was  possible,  considering  that  their  penmanship 
was  not  always  legible,  nor  their  language  grammatical,  nor  their 
expressions  intelligible.  With  these  original  data  before  him  the 
reader  is  in  a  position  to  form  an  independent  conclusion  respect- 
ing the  controversies  raging  around  this  voyage.  This  book  is  not 
the  last  word  on  the  subject,  and  it  is  hoped  that  other  investi- 
gators will  use  its  material  to  make  further  studies  in  the  field. 

The  late  Captain  E.  P.  Bertholf,  until  within  two  years  of 
his  death  in  1921  Commandant  of  the  U.  S.  Coast  Guard,  and 
an  authority  on  the  waters  and  shores  of  Bering  Sea  and  the 
North  Pacific  Ocean,  has  made  a  distinct  contribution  to  science 
by  plotting  out  scientifically  the  tracks  and  landfalls  of  the 


X  PREFACE 

St.  Peter  and  the  St.  Paul.  In  addition  he  read  the  manuscript 
and  suggested  improvements.  Lieutenant  Raymond  Burhen, 
U.  S.  N.,  and  Captain  Sam  Hoyt,  of  Seattle,  have  helped  in  the 
matter  of  nautical  expressions.  To  all  these  gentlemen  the 
author  is  sincerely  grateful.  He  takes  this  occasion  also  to 
testify  publicly  to  the  courtesy  and  genuine  good  will  of  the 
Russian  archivists  and  scholars  of  the  old  regime  with  whom 
he  had  contact  in  Petrograd  and  Moscow  in  his  search  for 
material.  They  were  ever  ready  to  inconvenience  themselves 
to  help  him  in  his  work.  Some  of  these  men  have  been  forced 
from  their  position  and  their  country,  and  others,  like  Professor 
Lappo-Danilevski,  have  died  of  starvation.  They  were  real 
scholars  and  true  gentlemen,  and  it  is  with  a  feeling  of  reverence 
and  gratitude  that  this  tribute  is  paid  to  them. 


CHAPTER  I 

V 

THE  GEOGRAPHICAL  KNOWLEDGE  OF  THE  NORTH 

PACIFIC  OCEAN  AT  THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE 

EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY 

The  numerous  naval  expeditions  of  the  sixteenth  century  in 
search  of  a  short  passage  to  Asia  gave  the  geographers  a  fairly 
good  idea  of  the  waters  and  shores  of  the  Atlantic  and  of  those 
parts  of  the  Arctic  that  were  nearest  to  Europe  and  European 
settlements.  Equally  helpful  in  making  the  Indian  and  the 
South  Pacific  waters  familiar  to  the  educated  world  were  the 
voyages  via  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  route  to  the  Indies,  China, 
and  Japan,  the  annual  voyages  of  the  Spanish  naval  officers 
between  Mexico  and  the  Philippines,  and  the  occasional  raids  of 
the  English  freebooters  along  the  Spanish-American  coast.  From 
the  early  years  of  the  seventeenth  century  onward  more  or  less 
reliable  maps  existed  for  the  Pacific  Ocean  south  of  the  parallel 
which  runs  through  Caf)e  Mendocino  and  the  northern  part  of 
the  main  island  of  Japan,  but  for  the  vast  region  north  of  that 
line  not  a  single  map  that  could  in  any  way  lay  claim  to  accuracy 
was  to  be  found  before  the  time  of  the  Bering  voyages.  It  was 
not  even  known  whether  the  North  Pacific  area  was  all  land  or 
all  water,  whether  Asia  and  America  were  separated  or  united 
(Fig.  I). 

There  were  many  reasons  for  believing  that  islands  or  a  conti- 
nent were  to  be  found  in  that  northern  region.  When  the  Jesuits 
came  to  Japan  in  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century  they  learned 
that  north  of  Japan  proper  there  was  a  body  of  land  called  Yezo, 
but  they  could  not  fully  inform  themselves  as  to  its  shape  and 
size.  A  somewhat  similar  report  reached  Europe  from  another 
quarter.  Richard  Cocks,  an  English  merchant  in  Japan,  in  a 
letter  written  in  1611,  made  mention  of  "an  island  called  Yedzo, 
which  is  thought  to  be  rather  some  part  of  the  continent  Tartaria." 


2  KNOWLEDGE  OF  NORTH  PACIFIC 

But  this  was  not  the  only  vague  information  the  cartographers 
had  to  go  on.  The  credulous  were  as  eager  as  ever  to  hear  of 
islands  with  golden  streets,  and  they  accepted  as  a  fact  every 
baseless  rumor  which  helped  to  confirm  them  in  their  belief.  One 
of  these  rumors  was  that  in  the  year  1582,  or  thereabouts,  a 
Spanish  vessel  in  going  from  Manila  eastward  ran  into  a  storm 
which  drove  her  to  an  island  situated  in  latitude  37°  30'  N.  and 
some  400  miles  east  of  Japan.  The  inhabitants  of  this  island  were 
hospitable  and  rich  to  such  an  extent  that  even  the  pots  and  pans 
were  made  of  gold  and  silver. 

Vizcaino  and  Vries 

The  Spanish  government  attached  enough  importance  to 
current  gossip  to  send  Sebastian  Vizcaino  from  Mexico  in  search 
of  the  rumored  El  Dorado.  He  spent  the  autumns  of  161 1  and 
1612  in  cruising  north,  south,  and  east  of  Japan  without,  how- 
ever, being  able  to  locate  the  prize.  In  the  meantime  the  Dutch 
traders  heard  the  story,  and  they  in  turn  became  interested.  In 
1639  the  Dutch  East  India  Company  instructed  Mathijs  Quast 
and  Abel  Janszoon  Tasman  to  find  the  gold  island,  but  all  their 
efforts  were  in  vain.  Four  years  later  the  company  sent  another 
expedition  in  command  of  Maerten  Gerritszoon  Vries.  He  sailed 
north  and  east  of  Japan,  sighting  the  island  of  Yezo  without,  how- 
came  ever,  being  able  to  determine  either  its  shape  or  its  size,  and 
among  (what  are  now  known  as)  the  Kurile  Islands.  One  of  these 
he  named  State  Island  and  the  other  (which  he  thought  to  be 
part  of  the  American  continent)  Company  Land.  But  neither 
gold  nor  silver  did  Vries  find,  though  he  sailed  north  to  Sakhalin, 
south  to  Formosa,  and  east  460  miles  from  Japan.  The  Vries 
discoveries  were  put  on  the  map  by  Jansson  in  1650.  The  pre- 
ceding year  (1649)  another  cartographer,  Texeira  by  name, 
published  a  map  on  which  he  marked  the  discoveries  (in  the  early 
part  of  the  seventeenth  century)  of  a  certain  Juan  de  Gama  just 
about  where  Vries  placed  his  Company  Land,  that  is  to  say  be- 
tween latitude  40°  and  45°  N.  (Fig.  i). 


r 


-."*!''% 


e  = 


RUSSIAN  ADVANCE  IN  SIBERIA  3 

Company  Land  and  Gam  a  Land 

It  is  no  wonder  that  these  three  reports,  that  of  the  Jesuits, 
Vries,  and  Texeira,  of  the  three  poorly  described  territories, 
Yezo,  Company  Land,  and  Gama  Land,  bewildered  the  cartog- 
raphers. They  were  at  a  loss  to  know  whether  the  lands  in 
question  were  islands  or  continents,  whether  they  were  parts  of 
America  or  of  Asia,  whether  they  were  three  distinct  lands  or 
one  and  the  same.  On  the  maps  of  the  second  half  of  the  seven- 
teenth and  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  century  all  these 
views,  and  many  others  besides,  foimd  expression.  Johann  Bap- 
tist Homann  of  Nuremberg,  on  his  map  of  about  1712,  suggested 
that  Terra  Esonis  was  probably  the  northwest  coast  of  America 
and  the  same  land  that  Gama  discovered ;  on  the  other  hand  Guil- 
laume  Delisle,  in  a  memoir  which  he  read  before  the  Paris 
Academy  of  Sciences  in  1720,  made  the  statement  that  Yezo 
was  a  part  of  Asia  and  that  Japan  was  a  peninsula  of  it.  The 
difference  in  the  point  of  view  of  these  two  men  gives  an  idea  of 
the  confusion  on  the  subject  that  existed  at  the  beginning  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  There  was  only  one  way  of  clearing  up 
these  difficulties,  and  that  was  by  actual  investigation. 

The  Russian  Advance  in  Siberia 

During  the  century  and  a  half  that  the  cartographers  were 
losing  themselves  in  their  speculations  and  paper  explorations 
of  the  North  Pacific  the  Russian  trappers,  traders,  tribute 
gatherers,  and  missionaries  were  wandering  over  the  length  and 
breadth  of  Siberia  and  pushing  their  discoveries  to  the  "Eastern" 
Ocean.  They  had  not,  however,  a  clear  idea  of  what  they  were 
doing;  they  had  not  even  a  very  good  mental  picture  of  the  land 
they  discovered. 

By  actual  navigation  they  had  learned  that  the  Ob,  Yenisei, 
and  Lena  emptied  into  the  "Icy"  Sea,  that  the  Amur,  Ud,  and 
Okhota  flowed  into  the  Eastern  Sea;  but  they  were  ignorant  as 
to  whether  there  existed  a  passage  between  these  two  seas.  They 


4  KNOWLEDGE  OF  NORTH  PACIFIC 

knew  that  one  could  go  by  water  from  the  mouth  of  the  Ob  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Lena,  from  the  mouth  of  the  Amur  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Okhota,  but  they  did  not  know  whether  one  could 
navigate  from  the  mouth  of  the  Lena  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Okhota.  They  were  not  agreed  among  themselves  whether 
there  was  land  to  the  north  and  east  of  the  two  last-named  rivers. 
Many  of  these  Siberian  hunters  believed  that  not  far  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Kolyma  River  a  large  continent  (bolshaya  zemlya) 
extended  northward  and  that  the  Asiatic  mainland  stretched  out 
indefinitely  to  the  eastward.  Something  was  also  said  and  known 
of  the  Anadyr  and  Kamchatka  Rivers,  but  they  were  supposed  to 
discharge  their  waters  into  the  Arctic.  According  to  some 
curious  Siberian  maps  of  the  late  seventeenth  and  early  eight- 
eenth centuries  eastern  Asia  ended  somewhere  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Okhota  River  and  northern  Asia  close  to  the  Yana 
River,  and  the  two  parts  together,  where  they  joined,  formed  a 
right  angle.  The  areas  which  now  go  by  the  name  of  Kamchatka 
and  the  Chukchi  Peninsula  were  then  unnoticed.  This  may  have 
been  due  to  the  Siberians'  ignorance  of  the  country  or  to  their 
ignorance  of  the  science  of  map  making. 

Peter  the  Great's  Interest 

When  Peter  the  Great  came  into  power  he  took  deep  interest 
in  the  activities  of  his  energetic  Cossacks  and  tried  to  give  them 
intelligent  guidance.  He  sent  many  of  his  Swedish  prisoners  of 
war  into  Siberian  ports  to  teach  his  subjects  to  build  sea-going 
vessels,  to  use  nautical  instruments,  and  to  construct  modern 
maps.  Between  1700  and  1715  Kamchatka  and  the  Kurile 
Islands  were  discovered  and  explored,  and  the  terra  incognita  in 
Asia  was  pushed  still  farther  eastward.  Reports  of  these  dis- 
coveries reached  the  scientific  men  of  Western  Europe,  and  when 
Peter  came  among  them  in  1716  and  1717  they  discussed  with 
him  the  question  of  the  North  Pacific  and  urged  him  to  settle 
once  for  all  the  problem  whether  Asia  and  America  were  united. 
Peter  accepted  for  himself  and  for  his  country  the  honor  and  the 


PETER  THE  GREAT'S  INTEREST  5 

responsibility,  and  carried  the  undertaking  through  successfully, 
although  at  the  time  his  success  was  somewhat  doubted.  When 
Bering's  second  expedition  came  to  an  end  in  1749,  Bering 
Strait  had  been  discovered,  the  Arctic  coast  of  Asia  from  the 
White  Sea  to  the  Kolyma  River  had  been  charted,  and  the  North 
Pacific  coast  of  America  from  Cape  Addington  to  Bering  Island 
had  been  placed  on  the  map.  This  was  Russia's  share  in  the 
work  of  discovery  and  exploration,  and  a  very  important  con- 
tribution to  geographical  knowledge  it  was. 


CHAPTER  II 
BERING'S  FIRST  EXPEDITION,  1725-1730 

On  his  return  to  his  capital  in  171 8  Peter  the  Great  went 
to  work  at  once  on  the  problem  of  the  relation  of  Asia  to 
America.  He  ordered  two  of  his  ofificers,  Fedor  Luzhin  and  Ivan 
Evreinov,  to  proceed  to  Asia  to  make  certain  investigations  for 
him  and  "to  go  to  Kamchatka  and  farther,  as  you  have  been 
ordered,  and  determine  whether  Asia  and  America  are  united; 
and  go  not  only  north  and  south  but  east  and  west,  and  put  on  a 
chart  all  that  you  see."  ^  They  left  Russia  in  1719,  reached 
Kamchatka  in  1720,  cruised  among  and  explored  the  Kurile 
Islands  in  1720  or  1721,  returned  to  St.  Petersburg  in  1722  or 
1723,  and  made  a  verbal  report  to  the  emperor.  Just  what  they 
reported  is  not  known,  but  it  is  certain  that  they  did  not 
"determine  whether  Asia  and  America  are  united." 

Peter  the  Great's  Orders 

This  failure  did  not  discourage  Peter;  it  probably  convinced 
him  that  in  order  to  be  successful  the  undertaking  would  have 
to  be  maintained  on  a  larger  scale  than  he  had  contemplated  in 
1 7 18.  The  time  was  more  favorable  now  than  before  for  such 
work;  the  Peace  of  Nystad  gave  him  the  leisure  and  the  peace  of 
mind  for  planning  great  things.  Unfortunately  his  health  began 
to  fail,  and,  as  he  realized  that  he  had  not  long  to  live,  he  made 
more  haste.  On  December  23,  1724,^  he  set  matters  in  motion 
by  drawing  up  the  following  orders: 

i 

'  Polnoe  Sobranie  Zakonov  Rossiiskoi  Imperii,  Vol.^,  Doc.  3266. 
2  In  the  present  work  the  dates  are  according  to  the  old  style,  at  that  time 
eleven  days  behind  the  new  style. 


1 1(1 1  ( lof oi  (/u  M oro  m OMO,      ti' t>poi'  i\oi tp r " f  C* ° ''^^ 'l  ^, 
0,i, H 0 i o  n  djiuu *A « cnrf 


3-f7 


^  {5^ 


I  „  .  I  M  h, 1,1.-  Ml  i.iragraphs  3  and  4  of  Peter  the  Great's  orders  ..f  December 
,,  ,,'.,  |,„  i'„.,,„/.  l.rst  expedition,  with  comments  in  liis  own  handvvritin?. 
For  ir  insl  iti-.n  see  the  text.  p.  7-  This  document  is  found  in  the  Archives  of  the 
Ministry  of  Marine:  Papers  of  the  Admiralty  Council.  1724,  No.  29.  Petrograd. 


PETER  THE  GREAT'S  ORDERS 


.Orders  of  Peter  the  Great  for  the  Selection  of  Officers  for  the 
First  Expedition' 
Peter's  Orders  Reports 


I.    To  find  geodesists  who  have 
been  in  Siberia  and  have  returned. 


2.  To  find  among  the  deserving 
naval  lieutenants  or  sub-lieuten- 
ants such  as  could  be  sent  to  Si- 
beria and  Kamchatka. 


3.  To  find  among  the  appren- 
tices or  assistant  master  builders 
one  who  could  build  there  a  deck 
ship  along  the  lines  of  the  big  ships 
here.  For  that  purpose  there 
should  be  sent  with  him  young 
ship  carpenters,  such  instruments 
as  may  be  needed,  one  quarter- 
master, and  eight  sailors. 


The  Senate  learns  that  the  fol- 
lowing named  geodesists  have  been 
in  Siberia:  Ivan  Zakharov,  Peter 
Chichagov,  Ivan  Evreinov,  who 
died,*  Fedor  Luzhin,  Peter  Sko- 
beltsyn,'  Ivan  Svistunov,  Dmitri 
Baskakov,  Vasili  Shetilov,  Grigori 
Putilov. 

Admiral  Sievers  and  Rear  Ad- 
miral Senyavin  recommend  among 
the  naval  lieutenants  Stanberg,^ 
Zverev,  or  Posenkov;  among  the 
sub-lieutenants  Chirikov  or  Lap- 
tev. It  would  be  advisable  to 
have  over  them  as  commander 
Captain  Bering  or  Fonverd.  Ber- 
ing has  been  in  the  East  Indies  and 
knows  conditions,  and  Fonverd 
has  had  experience  as  navigator. 

The  student  of  shipbuilding, 
Fedor  Koslov,  is  able  to  build 
either  decked  or  open  ships  if  he  is 
furnished  with  a  plan. 

//  is  very ,  necessary  to  have  as 
navigator  or  assistant  navigator  one 
who  has  been  in  North  A  merica. 


Rigging    is    being    sent. 
*Two  sets. 


The  rest  is  all  right. 


4.  Likewise  to  forward  from 
here  one  and  a  half*  sets  of  sails; 
blocks,  cables,  and  such  like;  four 
falconets  with  the  necessary  am- 
munition; and  one  or  two  sail- 
makers. 

'Archives  of  the  Ministry  of  Marine:  Papers  of  the  Admiralty  Council,  1724, 
No.  29,  pp.  129-130.  In  the  left-hand  column  are  Peter's  instructions,  in  the  right 
is  the  report  of  the  Senate  or  the  Admiralty  Council.  The  lines  in  italics  are  com- 
ments on  the  report  by  Peter  made  in  his  own  handwriting  (see  Fig.  2). 

*  In  1720  or  1721  Evreinov  and  Luzhin,  as  stated  above,  went  to  the  Kurile 
Islands  at  the  order  of  Peter.   Soon  after  their  return  Evreinov  died. 

'  I.e.  Spanberg. 


8  BERING'S  FIRST  EXPEDITION 

5.  If  there  are  no  such  naviga-  Vice-Admiral  Sievers  has  writ- 
tors  in  our  navy,  a  letter  should  be  ten  that  he  has  among  our  men 
dispatched  at  once  to  Holland  that  navigators  who  know  the  sea  and 
two  men  be  sent  who  know  the  sea  that  he  will  send  them  without 
in  the  north  and  as  far  as  Japan.  delay. 
These  men  should  come  by  the 
admiralty  post. 

December  23,  1724. 

Ukase  to  the  Governor  of  Siberia,  Prince  Dolgorukov^ 

We  are  sending  to  Siberia  Fleet-Captain  Vitus  Bering  with  assistants 
to  undertake  a  naval  expedition  and  to  carry  out  such  instructions  as  he 
has  from  us.  When  he  comes  to  you  and  asks  help  of  one  kind  and 
another  for  the  expedition  you  are  to  give  it  to  him. 

January,  1725. 

Account  of  the  Expedition 

On  the  strength  of  the  recommendations  of  the  Senate  and  the 
Admiralty  Council  the  tsar  selected  Vitus  Bering''  to  lead  the 
expedition  and  gave  him  as  lieutenants  Martin  Spanberg*  and 
Alexei  Chirikov.  In  the  early  part  of  January,  1725,  he  also  drew 
up  and  signed  the  instructions;^  but,  owing  to  his  failing  health, 
he  had  to  leave  the  execution  of  them  to  his  friend  Count  Aprak- 
sin.'"  The  death  of  Peter  on  January  28,  1725,  did  not  in  the  least 

•Archives  of  the  Ministry  of  Marine:  Papers  of  the  Admiralty  Council,  1724, 
No.  29. 

'Vitus  Bering  was  born  at  Horsens,  Denmark,  in  the  year  1681.  As  soon  as  he 
was  old  enough  he  went  to  sea  and  in  1703  made  a  voyage  to  the  East  Indies.  In 
1704  he  joined  the  Russian  navy  with  the  rank  of  sub-Heutenant.  He  rose  gradually 
in  the  service,  being  made  lieutenant  in  1707,  lieutenant-captain  in  17 10,  captain 
of  the  fourth  rank  in  1715.  captain  of  the  third  rank  in  1717,  captain  of  the  second 
rank  in  1720,  and  captain  of  the  first  rank  in  1724,  when  he  was  put  in  charge  of 
the  expedition.  For  a  fuller  account  of  Bering's  life  the  reader  is  referred  to  Peter 
Lauridsen's  "Vitus  Bering,"  transl.  by  J.  E.  Olson,  Chicago,  1889. 
'Spanberg  was  a  Dane  and  Chirikov  a  Russian. 
'Printed  below,  pp.   lo-ii,  in  Bering's  report. 

'"  Nartov's  account  of  the  last  days  of  the  monarch  (Razskazi  Nartova  o  Petre 
Velikom.  edited  by  L.  N.  Maikov,  St. Petersburg,  1891,  p.  99)  shows  how  impor- 
tant the  latter  regarded  the  expedition: 

"In  the  beginning  of  January,  1725,  Peter  was  realizing  that  he  had  not  long 
to  live,  yet  his  unconquerable  spirit  was  busily  at  work  for  the  good  of  the  coun- 
try. With  his  own  hand  he  drew  up  the  instructions  relative  to  tlie  Kamchatka 
expedition,  which  should    determine   the  relation  between  Asia  and  America. 


BERING'S  REPORT  9 

disturb  the  plans  of  the  undertaking.  Catherine  was  determined 
to  carry  out  all  the  policies  and  ambitions  of  her  husband.  Al- 
ready, on  January  24,  the  vanguard  of  the  party  had  left  the 
capital,  but  Bering  and  several  others  did  not  leave  until  Febru- 
ary 5,  the  day  the  instructions  were  handed  to  him,  as  may  be 
read  in  the  report  of  Bering  which  follows. 

Report  of  Fleet-Captain  Bering  on  His  Expedition  to  the  Eastern 
Coast  of  Siberia" 

To  the  Most  Enlightened,  August,  and  Great  Empress  of  All  the 
Russias  [is  submitted]  a  short  account  of  the  Siberian  Expedition  under- 
taken by  Her  Imperial  Majesty's  humble  servant,  Fleet-Captain  V.  I. 
Bering.'* 

On  February  5,  1725,  I  received  from  Her  Imperial  Majesty  the 
Empress  Catherine  Alexeyevna,'^  of  illustrious  and  immortal  memory, 
the  instructions  drawn  up  by  the  hand  of  His  Imperial  Majesty  Peter 
the  Great,  of  deserving  and  eternal  fame,  a  copy  of  which  follows: 

I.  Build  in  Kamchatka  or  in  some  other  place  in  that  region  one  or 
two  decked  boats. 

(Footnote  to,  continued.) 
He  also  selected  the  officers  for  this  work — Vitus  Bering,  Martin  Spangenberg 
[this  was  the  usual  way  of  writing  it  at  this  period],  and  Alexei  Chirikov. 

"I  was  then  almost  constantly  with  the  Emperor  and  saw  with  my  own  eyes 
how  eager  His  Majesty  was  to  get  the  expedition  under  way,  being,  as  it  were, 
conscious  that  his  end  was  near.  When  all  had  been  arranged  he  seemed  pleased 
and  content.  Calling  the  general-admiral  [Count  Apraksin]  to  him  he  said:  'Bad 
health  has  obliged  me  to  remain  at  home.  Recently  I  have  been  thinking  over  a 
matter  which  has  been  on  my  mind  for  many  years,  but  other  affairs  have  pre- 
vented me  from  carrying  it  out.  I  have  reference  to  the  finding  of  a  passage  to 
China  and  India  through  the  Arctic  Sea.  On  the  map  before  me  there  is  indicated 
such  a  passage  bearing  the  name  of  .Anian.  There  must  be  some  reason  for  that. 
In  my  last  travels  I  discussed  the  subject  with  learned  men,  and  they  were  of  the 
opinion  that  such  a  passage  could  be  found.  Now  that  the  country  is  in  no 
danger  from  enemies  we  should  strive  to  win  for  her  glorj'  along  the  lines  of  the 
arts  and  sciences.  In  seeking  such  a  passage  who  knows  but  perhaps  we  may  be 
more  successful  than  the  Dutch  and  English,  who  have  made  many  such  attempts 
along  the  American  coast.  I  have  written  out  these  instructions  and,  on  account 
of  my  health,  I  entrust  the  execution  of  them,  point  by  point,  to  you,  Feodor 
Matveyevich."  " 

"  Zapiski  Voenno-Topogr.  Depo,  Vol.  lo,  pp.  69-7S.  St.  Petersburg,  1847. 
The  original  report  in  manuscript  is  in  the  Archives  of  the  General  Staff,  Section 
X,  No.  566.  \.\  translation  of  the  published  version  appeared  (pp.  I35-I43)  in 
VV.  H.  Dall:  A  Critical  Review  of  Bering's  First  Expedition,  1725-30,  Nail.  Geogr. 
Mag.,  Vol.  2,  1890,  pp.  111-169. — Edit.  Note.] 

"  Vitus  Ivanovich  Bering.    Bering's  father's  name  was  Jonas. 
"  Catherine  I,  second  wife  of  Peter,  who  succeeded  him  to  the  throne  on  February 
8,  1725,  and  reigned  untU  her  death  on  May  6,  1727 


10 


BERING'S  FIRST  EXPEDITION 


.V^/Wy/V/y>y/V/V>y/V<«'^^));;MAiJ^j<WV^^^^ 


BERING'S  REPORT  ii 

2.  Sail  on  these  boats  along  the  shore  which  bears  northerly  and 
which  (since  its  limits  are  unknown)  seems  to  be  a  part  of  America. 

3.  Determine  where  it  joins  with  America,  go  to  some  settlement 
under  European  jurisdiction;  if  you  meet  a  European  ship  learn  from 
it  the  name  of  the  coast  and  put  it  down  in  writing,  make  a  landing 
to  obtain  more  detailed  information,  draw  up  a  chart  and  come  back 
here.'* 

In  the  orders  given  me  by  General-Admiral  Count  Apraksin'^  it  was 
stated  that  I  was  to  ask  for  mechanics  and  supplies  from  the  provincial 
government  at  Tobolsk  and  that  I  was  to  make  monthly  reports  to  the 
Admiralty  College." 

On  January  24,  before  I  received  the  instructions,  there  was  dispatched 
by  the  Admiralty  College  in  the  interest  of  the  expedition  one  of  my 
lieutenants  with  26  men  and  25  wagonloads  of  materials.  Altogether 
there  were  under  my  command  33  men,  and  they  were  sent  by  way  of 
Vologda.  From  St.  Petersburg  to  Tobolsk  we  passed  en  route  the 
following  cities:  Vologda,  Totma,  Veliki  Ustyug,  Solvychegodsk,  Kai, 
Solikamsk,  Verkhotura,  Turinsk  (also  called  Epanchin),  and  Tyumen.'^ 

On  March  i6  Tobolsk  was  reached  and  there  we  remained  until  May  15 
because  of  the  cold  weather.  During  the  stay  I  requisitioned  the  neces- 
sary material  for  the  expedition.  On  May  15  we  started  down  the 
Irtish  to  Samarovsk  in  four  boats,  known  in  Siberia  as  doshcheniki.^^ 
They  were  loaded  with  supplies  brought  from  St.  Petersburg  as  well  as 
other  things  gathered  at  Tobolsk.  In  the  last-named  city  there  were 
added  to  my  company,  at  my  request,  a  monk,  a  commissar,  petty 
officers,  and  soldiers  to  the  number  of  34. 

From  Samarovsk  I  sent  ahead  my  marine  guard,'*  who  carried  with 
him  orders  from  the  provincial  government  of  Tobolsk  to  the  towns 
along  the  way  to  have  boats  prepared  at  Yeniseisk  and  Ust-Kut,-"  but 

"  Polnoe  Sobranie  Zakonov  Rossiiskoi  Imperii,  Vol.  7,  Doc.  4649. 

■5  Feodor  Matveyevich  Apraksin  (1671-1728),  one  of  Peter's  right-hand  men. 
See  also  footnote  10. 

'6  The  Admiralty  College  was  created  in  17 18  and  became  a  Ministry  in  1802. 

"  For  the  route  of  the  expedition,  see  map.  Fig.  3.  Most  of  the  towns  named, 
from  Kai  eastwards,  were  posts  and  stopping  places  for  Siberian  hunters  and  tra- 
ders. Verkhotura  (Upper  Tura)  was  founded  in  1598,  Tyumen  in  1586,  and  Tobolsk 
in  1587.  Turinsk  was  also  called  Epanchin  because  a  Tatar  chief  of  that  name 
lived  here  before  the  Russians  came. 

"  A  doshchenik  "is  built  of  boards  without  a  keel,  flat-bottomed,  about  35  to  40 
feet  long;  rows  and  steers  with  long  sweeps,  two  men  to  each;  is  furnished  with  a 
mast,  and  one  square  sail,  and  named  from  dosok,  a  board."  (Martin  Sauer:  An 
Account  of  a  Geographical  and  Astronomical  Expedition  to  the  Northern  Parts  of 
Russia,  ...  by  Commodore  Joseph  Billings  .  .  .  ,  London,  1802,  p.  20,  footnote.) 

'»  Peter  Chaplin. 

'"Ust-Kut  (Mouth  of  the  Kut),  where  the  Kut  falls  into  the  Lena  and  marks 
the  head  of  navigation. 


12  BERING'S  FIRST  EXPEDITION 

he  himself  was  to  proceed  to  Yakutsk.  After  leaving  Samarovsk 
we  went  up  the  Ob  to  Surgut  and  to  Narim,  thence  up  the  river  Ket 
to  Makovska  Post. 2'  Along  the  course  that  we  followed  from  Tobolsk 
to  Makovska  live  the  Ostyaks.-^  who  were  formerly  idolaters  but  through 
the  labors  of  Metropolitan  Philophei-'  of  Tobolsk  were  converted  to 
Christianity  in  171 5.  We  proceeded  overland  from  Makovska  to  Yeni- 
seisk and  there  went  aboard  four  boats  and  worked  our  way  up  the 
rivers  Yenisei  and  [Upper]  Tunguska  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ilim  River.  On 
the  Tunguska  there  are  three  rapids  (poroga)  and  several  rocky  shoals 
(shkver).  In  the  rapids  there  are  large  submerged  rocks  across  the  whole 
width  of  the  stream  so  that  a  boat  can  get  through  in  only  one  or  two 
places;  the  shoals  likewise  have  rocks  above  and  below  the  surface  but 
they  [the  shoals]  are  not  very  large.  The  shoals  differ  from  the  rapids  in 
that  the  former  have  little  water  and  continue  for  a  verst  or  two  at  a 
stretch,  which  causes  some  trouble  in  getting  over  them.  At  Yeniseisk 
I  took  for  my  service,  in  accordance  with  instructions  from  Tobolsk,  30 
carpenters  and  blacksmiths.  The  rapids  and  shoals  made  it  impossible 
to  go  up  the  Ilim  to  Ilimsk,  and  on  that  account  there  were  sent  out 
from  that  town  smaller  craft.  On  these  the  heavier  materials  were  taken 
to  Ilimsk,  but  the  lighter  were  transported  to  the  same  place  in  the  course 
of  the  winter. 

Lieutenant  Spanberg  with  39  men,  carpenters  and  laborers,  was 
sent  overland  to  Ust-Kut,  where,  during  the  winter,  they  con- 
structed IS  barges  for  taking  the  men  and  supplies  down  the  Lena  to 
Yakutsk.  With  the  other  members  of  the  party  I  wintered  at  Ilimsk 
because  there  were  not  enough  accomodations  for  all  at  Ust-Kut 
and  we  could  not  go  through  to  Yakutsk  owing  to  the  snow  and  cold, 
the  lack  of  teams,  and  the  uninhabited  country.  According  to  orders 
from  Tobolsk  we  were  to  receive  our  food  supplies  from  Irkutsk  and 
Ilimsk,  as  no  grain  grows  at  Yakutsk.  During  the  winter  I  went  from 
Ilimsk  to  Irkutsk  to  consult  with  the  voivode'-''  of  that  city,  who  formerly 
held  a  similar  position  at  Yakutsk,  about  that  country,  of  which  we  knew 
very  little,  and  to  find  out  the  best  way  of  going  from  there  to  Okhotsk 
and  Kamchatka.    Towards  the  end  of  the  winter  I  took  over  to  Ust-Kut 

2'  Built  as  a  palisaded  fort  ioslrog)  in  1619. 

^  In  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries  they  made  trouble  for  the  Russians, 
but  they  are  of  no  importance  now.  In  191 1  the  total  number  of  Ostyaks  in  Siberia 
was  20,000. 

°  Philophei  (Leszczynski)  (1650-1727).  In  1702  Peter  put  him  in  charge  of  the 
Siberian  missions,  and  it  is  recorded  that  through  his  efforts  40,000  natives  were 
converted  to  Christianity. 

2''  Mikhaelo  Izmailov,  voivode  from  October,  1724,  to  April,  1731.  In  the  Annals 
of  Irkutsk  (V.  P.  Sukachev:  Pervoe  stolyetie  Irkutska,  St.  Petersburg,  1902,  pp. 
133-134)  it  is  recorded  that  Spanberg  and  "Ivan  Bering"  were  there  in  the  course 
of  this  winter. 


«!«5!V!**«'^-jJf*!S.i*^. 


^^■•fV 


.A=..W'." 


■3      2  o  ^      5  —  M  "  5  'i'  =  5  ~ 

Id 


3    1^ 

>  2  ' 


2  3 


^^1  3 


BERING'S  REPORT  13 

my  whole  company,  which  included  20  carpenters  and  blacksmiths  from 
Irkutsk  and  two  coopers  from  Ilimsk. 

Along  the  Tunguska,  Ilim,  and  Lena  Rivers,  as  far  as  the  Vitim,''  live 
the  idolatrous  Tungus  who  have  deer  for  riding,  but  those  who  have 
no  deer  make  their  homes  along  the  banks  of  streams  an  dsubsist  on 
fish  and  get  about  in  birch  canoes. 

In  the  spring  of  1726  we  left  Ust-Kut  in  15  barges  and  went  down  the 
Lena  to  Yakutsk.  From  the  Vitim  down  along  the  Lena,  on  both  banks, 
live  the  Yakuts  and  a  small  number  of  Tungus.  The  Yakuts  have 
many  horses  and  cattle  which  supply  them  with  food  and  clothing,  but 
those  that  have  but  few  of  these  animals  live  on  fish.  They  are  idolaters; 
they  worship  the  sun  and  the  moon  and,  of  the  birds,  the  swan,  the 
eagle,  and  the  raven.  They  hold  in  high  respect  their  priests,  whom 
they  call  shamans,  who  keep  in  their  possession  small  idols  (bolvanov) 
known  to  them  as  shailany.    They  claim  to  be  of  Tatar  origin. 

On  arriving  at  Yakutsk  I  called  for  help  to  assist  my  men  on  the  barges, 
and,  as  soon  as  they  came,  I  dispatched  Lieutenant  Spanberg  in  13 
of  the  boats  that  were  built  at  Ust-Kut  and  drew  but  little  water 
down  the  Lena  to  the  Aldan  and  from  there  up  the  Maya  and  the 
Yudoma.  These  barges  were  loaded  with  materials  which  could  not 
be  transported  overland,  besides  other  naval  and  land  stores.  I  had 
hoped  that  this  freight  could  be  taken  by  water  as  far  as  Yudoma  Cross, ^^ 
a  much  cheaper  way  than  sending  it  by  horses.  That  same  summer 
I,  with  a  small  number  of  my  men,  went  from  Yakutsk  to  Okhotsk  on 
horseback,  taking  with  us  a  pack  train,  each  horse  carrying  only  a  five- 
pood-'  load,  and  in  this  manner  we  brought  over  sixteen  hundred  poods 
of  provisions.  It  was  impossible  to  make  use  of  wagons  owing  to  the 
mud  and  the  hills.  At  Okhotsk  Post  there  are  only  ten  Russian  dwell- 
ings. Lieutenant  Chirikov  was  left  behind  to  winter  at  Yakutsk  with  the 
understanding  that  he  was  to  come  overland  to  Okhotsk  in  the  spring. 

Towards  the  end  of  December,  1726,  I  received  word  from  Lieutenant 
Spanberg  that  his  boats  were  ice-bound  in  the  Gorbea  River,-*  about 
450  versts  from  Yudoma  Cross,  and  that  he  had  made  sleds  and  was 
hauling  on  them  the  most  needed  material.  I  made  up  a  party  from  my 
own  men  and  those  of  the  ostroji  and  gave  them  dog  teams  and  supplies, 
and  sent  them  to  the  relief  of  the  lieutenant.  He  arrived  with  his  com- 
pany about  the  first  part  of  January,  1727,  without,  however,  bringing 

^  The  Vitim  is  a  right  branch  of  the  Lena  flowing  into  it  in  113°  E.  (see  Fig.  3)  and 
is  known  for  its  fine  sables.  In  191 1  the  Tungus,  including  the  Lamuts,  numbered 
75,204;  the  Yakuts  245,406. 

^  At  the  headwaters  of  the  Yudoma,  where  navigation  ceases,  there  was  erected 
a  cross,  hence  the  name  Yudoma  Cross.   For  this  part  of  the  route,  see  map,  Fig.  4. 

"  A  pood  is  about  36  pounds. 

-» A  left  tributary  of  the  Yudoma  near  its  mouth.  Probably  the  Derbi  River 
of  today. 


BERING'S  FIRST  EXPEDITION 


Fig.  s — The  eastern  section  of  the  map  accompanying  BerinR's  report  of  his 
first  expedition.  Reproduced  from  W.  H.  Dall's  facsimile  (Appendix  No.  19.  U.  S. 
Coast  and  Geodetic   Survey  Rept.  for   1890,  PI.  69)  of  a  copy  of   the  map  pre- 


BERING'S  REPORT 


15 


GT 


pared  for  use  in  Sweden,  with  transliteration  of  the  Russian  names,  in  1889  in  the 
collection  of  Baron  KJinckofstrbm.  Compare  with  Bering's  route  and  the  coast 
outlines  on  Figs.  3  and  6. 


i6  BERING'S  FIRST  EXPEDITION 

in  any  of  the  material,  which  he  left  in  four  different  places  along  the 
uninhabited  trail.  They  had  been  on  the  road  ever  since  November  4 
and  during  that  time  had  suffered  greatly  from  hunger,  having  been  com- 
pelled to  eat  the  dead  horses  that  had  dropped  by  the  wayside,  the 
harness,  their  leather  clothing,  and  boots.  Fortunately  they  found  at 
Yudoma  Cross  the  150  poods  of  flour  which  we  had  left  behind  when  some 
of  our  horses  gave  out. 

Along  the  Aldan  and  Maya  live  the  same  kind  of  Yakuts  as  those  on 
the  Lena;  but  on  the  Yudoma,  that  part  which  is  near  Okhotsk  Post, 
are  the  wandering  coast  Tungus,  or  Lamuts,  as  they  call  themselves. 
They  have  many  deer,  on  the  backs  of  which  they  ride  summer  and 
winter  and  which,  as  well  as  the  wild  deer,  supply  them  with  their  food  and 
clothing.  Here,  too,  are  to  be  seen  the  pedestrian  Tungus  who  live 
near  the  sea  and  along  the  banks  of  the  streams  and  depend  on  fish 
for  their  sustenance.    They  have  the  same  religion  as  the  Yakuts. 

About  the  first  part  of  February  I  gathered  90  men  and  several  dog 
teams  and  gave  them  to  Lieutenant  Spanberg  with  orders  to  bring  in 
whatever  was  left  on  the  Yudoma.  He  himself  returned  during  the 
first  days  of  April,  but  some  of  his  men  did  not  come  in  until  the  middle 
of  the  month.  Even  then  they  failed  to  bring  in  everything,  and  it  was 
necessary  to  send  another  party  of  27  men  to  Yudoma  Cross,  which  stayed 
away  until  May  but  brought  in  all  the  material  on  pack  horses.  In  these 
regions  people  never  go  in  winter  from  Yakutsk  to  Okhotsk  or  other  far- 
off  places  on  horseback ;  they  go  on  foot ,  dragging  behind  them  sleds — the 
kind  we  used  between  the  Gorbea  and  Okhotsk — with  such  things  as  are 
needed,  each  sled  carrying  from  10  to  15  poods.  A  trip  like  this  takes 
from  eight  to  ten  weeks.  The  snow  here  is  sometimes  seven  feet  deep,  and 
in  places  even  deeper,  and  people  who  travel  in  winter  dig  their  way 
through  the  snow  to  the  ground  and  there  pass  the  night. 

On  June  30,  Lieutenant  Spanberg  sailed  for  the  mouth  of  the  Bolshaya 
River  on  his  newly  built  ship^'  which  was  loaded  with  all  the  materials. 
He  had  orders  to  discharge  the  cargo,  send  one  of  the  petty  officers  with 
carpenters  to  Kamchatka  to  prepare  ship  timber,  and  return  himself  to 
Okhotsk. 

Lieutenant  Chirikov  came  from  Yakutsk  July  3,  bringing  with  him 
in  accordance  with  my  instruction  2,300  poods  of  flour.  We  loaded 
the  flour  on  Spanberg's  ship,  which  had  returned,  and  on  an  old  boat,'" 
which  had  come  in  from  the  Bolshaya  River,  and  sailed  with  my  com- 
pany for  Bolsheretsk  Post  on  August  21.  The  supplies  that  were 
still  in  the  boats  on  the  Gorbea  I  sent  back  to  Yakutsk  in  charge  of  the 
pilot  and  the  men  who  had  been  detailed  to  watch  over  them,  with  orders 
to  get  a  receipt  for  them  and  then  hasten  back  with  some  part  of  the 

"  The  Fortune. 
'"  The  Lodiya. 


BERING'S  REPORT  17 

supply  of  iron  and  tar  and  join  me  in  Kamchatka  in  1728.  At  the 
mouth  of  the  Bolshaya  River  we  had  to  discharge  the  cargo  into  small 
boats  and  take  it  to  Bolsheretsk.  This  post  had  only  14  Russian  houses. 
The  heav'er  materials  and  part  of  the  supplies  were  loaded  into  small 
boats  and  sent  up  the  Bystra  River, 3'  a  stream  with  a  swift  current, 
to  within  120  versts  of  the  Upper  Kamchatka  Post.  That  same 
winter  we  left  Bolsheretsk  on  dog  teams  for  the  Upper  and  Lower  Kam- 
chatka Posts.  Each  evening  we  made  a  camp  in  the  snow  and  covered 
over  the  opening.  This  country  has  some  bad  blizzards,  called  purges,^ 
and  if  a  person  is  hit  by  one  of  them  in  an  open  place  without  having 
time  to  construct  a  shelter  he  is  in  danger  of  being  snowed  over  and 
freezing  to  death.  In  the  upper  ostrog  there  are  17  houses;  in  the  lower, 
50;  and  in  the  other  place,  where  the  church  is,  there  are  15  more.  In 
all  three  places  there  lived,  during  our  stay,  not  more  than  150  persons 
[Russian];  their  chief  occupation  is  collecting  tribute.  The  natives 
who  drove  the  teams  that  brought  us  over  from  Bolsheretsk  prepared 
300  poods  of  whale  blubber  from  a  whale  that  had  been  washed  ashore 
in  the  fall.  In  place  of  money  they  [the  natives]  were  given  Chinese 
tobacco.  In  southern  Kamchatka  live  the  Kurils,  in  the  northern  the 
Kamchadals.  They  have  a  common  language,  but  there  are  a  few  minor 
dififerences.  A  small  number  of  these  people  are  idolaters.  The  others 
do  not  believe  in  anything  and  are  strangers  to  all  good  customs  {i 
chuzhdi  vsiakykh  dobrykh  ohychaev).  Neither  the  natives  of  Kamchatka 
nor  the  Russians  who  live  there  sow  any  grain.  Of  domestic  animals  they 
have  only  the  dog,  which  is  used  for  driving,  hauling,  and  for  furnishing 
clothing.  The  food  of  the  natives  consists  of  fish,  roots,  berries,  wild  birds, 
and  sea  animals  in  season.  In  the  neighborhood  of  the  Yakutsk  monas- 
tery, which  is  about  a  verst  from  the  Kamchatka  church,  there  are  raised 
at  the  present  time  oats,  hemp,  and  radishes.  Turnips  are  cultivated 
in  all  three  ostrogs.  and  they  reach  such  a  size  as  is  seldom  seen  in  Russia, 
four  of  them  making  a  pood.  I  took  over  to  the  monastery  above 
mentioned  some  rye  and  barley  and  had  it  sown,  but  whether  it  matured 
or  not  I  cannot  tell,  for  sometimes  early  frosts  kill  the  crop.  In  culti- 
vating the  soil  the  people  are  handicapped  by  lack  of  draft  animals. 

From  all  aborigines  under  Russian  jurisdiction  tribute  in  fur  is  col- 
lected. The  natives  have  many  evil  practices.  If  a  woman  or  a  beast 
gives  birth  to  twins  one  of  them  must  be  killed  at  once.     Not  to  do  so 

'■  The  Bystra  (Swift),  a  branch  of  the  Bojshaya,  is  full  of  rapids  and  shoals  and 
is  difficult  to  navigate.  From  Bolsheretsk  to  Lower  Kamchatka  Post  the  distance 
is  883  versts. 

^' "The  poorga  raged  with  redoubled  fury;  the  clouds  of  sleet  rolled  like  a  dark 
smoke  over  the  moor,  and  we  were  all  so  benumbed  with  cold  that  our  teeth  chat- 
tered in  our  heads.  The  sleet,  driven  with  such  violence,  had  got  into  our  clothes 
and  penetrated  even  under  our  parkas,  and  into  our  baggage."  (Peter  Dobell: 
Travels  in  Kamchatka  and  Siberia,  2  vols.,  London,  1830;  reference  in  Vol.  I,  p.  102.) 


i8  BERING'S  FIRST  EXPEDITION 

is  a  great  sin.  It  is  a  practice  among  the  Kamchadals,  if  one  of  them 
is  very  sick,  even  a  father  or  a  mother,  to  take  him  out  into  the  forest  and 
leave  him  there,  be  it  summer  or  winter,  with  just  enough  food  to  last  a 
week,  and  as  a  result  many  die.  The  homes  of  the  dead  are  not  again 
occupied,  and  the  dead  themselves  are  not  buried  but  are  thrown  into 
the  woods,  where  the  dogs  devour  them.'^  The  Koryaks  burn  their  dead; 
this  custom  is  now  forbidden,  but  the  law  is  not  strictly  enforced. 

When  I  reached  Lower  Kamchatka  Post  the  timber  for  our  ship  was 
in  large  part  ready.  We  went  to  work  on  her  April  4,  1728,  and  with 
the  help  of  God  had  her  completed  by  July  10.'^  The  timber  we  hauled 
on  dog  teams.  Tar,  since  we  had  not  brought  any  with  us  and  the 
natives  had  none  on  hand  as  they  did  not  know  how  to  make  it,  we 
manufactured  out  of  a  tree  known  there  as  listvennik.^^  For  lack  of  any- 
thing better  to  take  along  on  the  sea  voyage,  we  distilled  liquor  from  grass 
by  a  process  known  in  that  country ;^^  salt  we  boiled  out  of  sea  water; 
butter  we  made  from  fish  oil;  and  in  place  of  meat  we  took  salt  fish. 
We  had  on  board  enough  provisions  to  last  40  men  a  year.  On  July  14 
we  sailed  from  the  mouth  of  the  Kamchatka  River  out  to  sea  and  fol- 
lowed the  course  laid  down  by  the  instructions  of  His  Imperial  Majesty 
Peter  the  Great  and  here  marked  on  the  chart. 

On  August  8,  when  we  were  in  latitude  64°  30'  N.,  eight  men  who 
claimed  to  be  Chukchi  (a  people  known  for  a  long  time  to  the  Russians 
of  the  country)  rowed  to  us  from  the  shore  in  a  leathern  boat  and,  when 
near,  asked  who  we  were  and  why  we  came.  On  being  invited  on  board, 
they  put  one  man  over,  who,  with  the  help  of  large  inflated  seal  bladders, 
swam  over  to  have  a  talk  with  us.  A  little  later  the  boat  moved  up  to 
us  and  the  men  in  it  told  us  that  large  numbers  of  Chukchi  live  along 
the  shore,  that  a  short  distance  from  here  the  coast  turns  to  the  west, 
and  that  not  far  ahead  of  us  is  an  island.  We  located  this  island,  which 
we  named  St.  Lawrence,  in  honor  of  the  day,  and  found  on  it  a  few  huts 
but  no  people,  although  I  twice  sent  the  midshipman  to  look  for  them. 

By  August  15  we  came  to  latitude  67°  18'  N.  and  turned  back  because 

'^  A  fuller  and  better  account  of  the  natives  is  to  be  found  in  S.  P.  Krasheninni- 
kov's  "History  of  Kamchatka,"  St.   Petersburg,   I75S>  and  G.  W.  Steller's  "Be- 
schreibung  von  dem  Lande  Kamtschatka,"  Frankfort  and  Leipzig,  1774. 
^  She  was  christened  St.  Gabriel.      '*  Larch. 
^  According  to  Steller  the  liquor  is  made  in  the  following  manner: 

"Der  Brandtewein  wird  aber  folgendermassen  angesetzt.  Man  gieset  auf  2 
Pud  susses  Kraut  4  Eimer  warmes  und  laues  Wasscr,  leget  zum  Ferment  ent- 
weder  was  von  der  Destination  iibrig  gebheben  hinein,  wovon  er  aber  einen 
Oblen  Geruch  oder  Geschmack  bekommt,  oder  Beeren  von  Schimalost  ["Shima- 
lost"  is  the  Kamchatka  honeysuckle  bush  {Lonicera  caerulea)  which  bears 
delicious  blue  berries. — L.  Stejneger.]  wovon  er  sehr  stark,  angenehmer  wird, 
und  mehr  Brandtewein  giebet.  oder  man  fermcntiret  ihn  mit  eingesauertem 
Mehl;  nach  Verlauf  24  Stunden  wird  er  destilliret,  und  bekommt  man  einen 
Eimer  Brandtewein."   ("Beschreibung  von  dem  Lande  Kamtschatka,"  p.  86.) 


BERING'S  REPORT  19 

the  coast  did  not  extend  farther  north  and  no  land  was  near  the  Chukchi 
or  East  Cape  and  therefore  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  instructions  of  His 
Imperial  Majesty  of  illustrious  and  immortal  memory  had  been  carried 
out.  Had  we  gone  on  and  met  with  unfavorable  winds  we  might  have  been 
prevented  from  returning  to  Kamchatka  that  season,  and  to  have  wintered 
where  we  were  would  not  have  been  wise  because  there  was  no  wood  of 
any  kind  and  the  native  population  does  as  it  pleases,  is  not  under  Russian 
control,  and  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  Russian  tribute  collectors.'" 

From  the  mouth  of  the  Kamchatka  River  to  the  point  from  which 
we  turned  back  the  coast  is  mountainous,  almost  as  straight  as  a  wall, 
and  covered  with  snow  even  in  summer. 

On  August  20  there  came  to  our  ship  four  boats  containing  40  Chukchi 
like  those  who  had  visited  us  before.     They  offered  for  sale  meat,  fish, 

"  On  August  13,  having  reached  65°  30',  Bering  called  his  officers  together  to 
discuss  the  question  whether  to  go  on  or  turn  back.    He  said  to  them: 

"Since  we  have  come  to  latitude  65°  30'  N.  and  according  to  my  opinion  and 
the  statements  of  the  Chukchi,  we  have  reached  and  passed  the  most  easterly 
point  of  their  land,  the  question  is  now,  shall  we  go  farther  north?  If  so,  how 
far?  When  should  we  begin  to  look  for  harbors?  Where  does  it  seem  best — 
looking  at  it  from  the  point  of  vFew  of  best  serving  our  countr>- — to  go  for  the 
winter  in  order  to  protect  men  and  ship?"  The  officers  were  divided  in  opinion. 
Spanberg,  the  senior  officer,  said:  "Having  come  as  far  north  as  we  have,  and 
since  on  the  Chukchi  coast  there  are  no  harbors  nor  wood  ...  so  that  we 
could  preserv^e  ourselves  in  such  winter  weather  as  we  have  in  this  region;  and 
since  these  natives  are  not  peaceful  ...  I  suggest  that  after  we  have  gone 
on  the  course  we  are  on  until  the  sixteenth  of  this  month,  and  if  by  that  time 
we  are  not  able  to  reach  sixty-six  degrees,  we  should  then  in  God's  name  turn 
about  and  betimes  seek  shelter  and  harbor  on  the  Kamchatka  River,  whence  we 
came,  in  order  to  save  men  and  ship."  Chirikov  made  this  argument:  "As  we 
have  no  positive  information  as  to  the  degree  of  north  latitude  Europeans  have 
ever  reached  in  the  Arctic  Ocean  on  the  Asiatic  side  we  can  not  know  with  cer- 
tainty whether  America  is  really  separated  from  Asia  unless  we  touch  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Kolyma,  or  at  least  the  ice,  because  it  is  well  known  that  there  is 
always  drift  ice  in  the  Arctic  Ocean.  Therefore  it  seems  to  me  that  according 
to  your  instructions  we  ought  to  sail  \vithout  questioning — unless  we  are  hindered 
by  the  ice,  or  the  coast  turns  to  the  west — to  the  mouth  of  the  Kolyma,  as  your 
instructions  demand  [a  place  under  European  jurisdiction?]  But  should  the 
land  continue  still  farther  to  the  north,  it  would  be  necessarj'  on  the  twenty-fifth 
of  this  month  to  look  for  winter  quarters  in  this  neighborhood,  and  above  all 
opposite  Chukotski  Cape,  where,  according  to  the  accounts  of  the  Chukchi 
through  Peter  Tatarinov,  there  is  a  forest.  And  if  up  to  that  time  winds  are 
contrary,  then  look  there  by  all  means  for  a  place  to  winter."  {Zapiski  Hydrogr. 
Depart.,  Vol.  8,  pp.  550-552,  St.  Petersburg,  1850.) 

[For  details  on  the  sea  voyage,  the  most  important  part  of  the  exi)edition, 
which  Bering  in  this  report  deals  with  only  briefly,  the  main  source  of  information 
is  the  midshipman  Peter  Chaplin's  log  book,  an  abridged  version  of  which,  with 
map  (cf.  Fig.  6),  was  published  by  Berkh  in  1823  and  translated  by  Dall  in  1891. 
Polonskii's  discussion  of  the  first  expedition,  from  which  the  above  quotation 
is  taken,  is  likewise  of  value.  A  narrative  based  on  Berkh  and  Polonskii  will 
be  found  in  F.  A.  Golder's  "Russian  Expansion  on  the  Pacific,"  pp.  140—147. 
For  the  references,  see  the  bibliography. — Edit.  Note.] 


20  BERING'S  FIRST  EXPEDITION 

water,  about  15  red  and  white  fox  skins,  four  walrus  tusks — all  of  which 
they  disposed  of  to  the  crew  for  needles  and  such  like  articles.  They 
toW  us  that  their  relatives  go  to  the  Kolyma  on  deer  and  not  by  boat, 
that  farther  along  the  coast  live  some  of  their  people,  that  they  had 
known  the  Russians  for  a  long  time,  and  that  one  of  their  number 
had  been  at  Anadyrsk  Post  to  trade.  The  rest  of  their  conversation  did 
not  differ  greatly  from  what  was  said  by  those  who  had  been  to  see  us 
before.  On  September  2  we  sailed  into  the  mouth  of  the  Kamchatka 
River  and  passed  the  winter  in  the  Lower  Kamchatka  Post. 

Having  repaired  the  ship,  which  had  been  laid  up,  we  left  the  mouth 
of  the  Kamchatka  River  on  June  5,  1729,  and  set  an  easterly  course, 
because  the  inhabitants  of  Kamchatka  said  that  in  clear  weather  land 
could  be  seen  across  the  sea.  We  made  a  careful  search  for  it  over  a 
distance  of  200  versts  but  could  not  find  it.  We  circumnavigated  and 
charted  the  southern  part  of  Kamchatka,  which  up  to  this  time  had 
not  been  surveyed,  and  then  sailed  to  the  mouth  of  the  Bolshaya  River 
and  from  there  to  Okhostk  Post.  At  the  request  of  the  authorities  at 
Yakutsk  I  left  with  the  government  officials  in  charge  of  the  posts  of 
Lower  Kamchatka  and  Bolsheretsk  800  poods  of  flour,  dried  meat, 
salt,  and  groats. 

It  was  July  23  when  we  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Okhota  River, 
where  I  handed  over  the  ship  and  all  that  went  with  it  to  the  officer 
in  command.  We  hired  horses  and  went  to  Yudoma  Cross,  and  from  there 
we  proceeded  by  boats  and  rafts  down  the  Aldan  to  the  portage  (belskoi 
perepravy)  and  lower,  where  we  again  took  horses  and  rode  on  to  Yakutsk. 
From  Okhotsk  to  Yakutsk  it  took  us  from  July  29  to  August  29  and  to 
September  3.'*  On  September  10  we  went  in  two  boats  up  the  Lena  and 
proceeded  until  October  i,  when  we  were  blocked  by  ice  and  therefore 
spent  a  part  of  the  autumn  in  the  village  of  Peleduye.^'  By  October  29 
there  was  sufficient  snow  on  the  ground,  and  the  banks  of  the  Lena  were 
firm  enough  on  account  of  the  ice  to  permit  us  to  go  on.  We  followed 
the  [Upper]  Tunguska  and  the  Yenisei  to  Ilimsk  and  Yeniseisk,  passing 
Russian  settlements  on  the  way.  From  Yeniseisk  to  Tomsk  we  continued 
along  the  river  Chulym,^"  meeting  with  more  Russian  settlements  and 
villages  of  newly  converted  Tatars.  Between  Tomsk  and  Chauska  Posf" 
we  passed  through  other  Russian  settlements.  From  Chauska  to  Tara 
we  crossed  the  Barabinsk  Steppe,  from  Tara  to  Tobolsk  we  followed  the 
river  Irtish  and  met  with  Tatar  villages.  At  Tobolsk  we  arrived  January 
10,  1730,  and  left  there  on  the  25th  of  the  same  month  for  St.  Petersburg, 
going  over  the  same  country  as  on  the  outward  journey  to  Tobolsk.  On 
March  i  we  reached  St.  Petersburg. 

'"  Not  clear.  Possibly  August  2q  represents  the  break  in  the  journey  at  the  portage. 
"  Pelcduye  is  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  of  the  same  name,  a  branch  of  the  Lena. 
*"  A  tributary  of  the  Oh  (see  Fig.  3).  lined  with  villages  of  Chulym  Tatars. 
<'  On  the  Chaus  River,  founded  in  1713.    It  is  223  versts  from  Tomsk. 


CHAPTER  III 

GVOZDEV'S  VOYAGE  TO  AMERICA  IN  1732 
Shestakov's  Earlier  Expedition 

After  the  Russians  had  conquered  Kamchatka  they  pushed 
northward  and  estabhshed  trading  relations  with  the  natives  of 
East  Cape.  While  they  were  in  that  neighborhood  the  traders 
heard  that  across  from  the  cape  there  was  a  large  country  {bol- 
sliaya  zemlya),  and  occasionally  they  saw  the  inhabitants  of 
that  country  who  were  held  captive  by  the  Chukchi.  The 
adventurous  Cossacks  decided  to  subdue  these  people,  as  well 
as  the  Chukchi,  and  force  them  to  pay  tribute.  One  of  their 
leaders,  Afanasi  Shestakov,  went  to  St.  Petersburg  to  persuade  the 
government  to  let  him  undertake  this  task.  On  March  23.  1727, 
the  Senate  gave  him  the  necessary  authority*  and  force  for  the 
work  in  hand.  It  was  Shestakov's  plan  to  attack  by  land  and  sea 
the  Chukchi  and  other  hostile  natives  on  the  mainland  and  when 
they  were  conquered  to  send  a  force  to  the  land  beyond  East  Cape. 
With  that  in  view  the  Cossack  leader  took  possession  in  1729  of 
all  the  seagoing  vessels  Bering  had  left  behind  him  at  Okhotsk. 

The  campaign  of  1730  ended  disastrously  for  the  Russians. 
Some  of  the  boats  were  wrecked,  the  land  forces  were  either  way- 
laid ordefeated  in  open  fight,  and  in  oneof  these  Shestakov  lost  his 
life.  Out  of  all  this  great  undertaking  only  one  important  thing 
was  accomplished — the  sighting  of  new  land  opposite  East  Cape. 

GvozDEv's  Expedition 

Shestakov  was  succeeded  in  command  by  Dmitri  Pavlutski, 
captain  of  dragoons  and  a  well-known  Chukchi  fighter.  In 
addition  to  the  other  information  about  the  "large  country," 
Pavlutski  had  received  in  1730  the  report  of  one  Melnikov  on 

1  Polnoe  Sobranie  Zakonov  Rossiiskoi  Imperii,  Vol.  7,  Doc.  5049. 


22  GVOZDEV'S  VOYAGE 

that  subject  which  tended  more  and  more  to  confirm  him  in  the 
belief  that  such  a  bolshaya  zemlya  really  existed.  During  the 
winter  of  1731-1732  Pavlutski  sent  word  to  the  officers  of  the 
St.  Gabriel  who  were  with  the  ship  at  Lower  Kamchatka  Post  to 
bring  him  supplies  to  the  Anadyr  in  the  spring  and  after  that  go 
in  search  of  the  land  opposite  East  Cape.^  When  the  time  came 
for  sailing  only  one  of  the  officers,  Michael  Spiridonovich  Gvozdev 
was  physically  fit  for  duty,  and  he  took  command  of  the  ship  and 
set  the  course  for  the  bolshaya  zemlya.  His  achievement  did  not 
impress  Pavlutski  very  much,  and  it  was  not  until  several  years 
later  that  he  was  made  to  write  out  his  report,  which,  with  un- 
important sections  omitted,  runs  as  follows:' 

In  May,  1732,  we  received  orders  from  Major  Pavlutski,  who  was  at 
the  time  at  the  Anadyr  fort,  to  go  aboard  the  St.  Gabriel  with  the  pilot  and 
underpilot  and  sail  around  Kamchatka  Cape  to  the  mouth  of  the  Anadyr 
and  opposite  Anadyrski  Cape  to  what  is  known  as  the  "large  country," 
examine  and  count  the  islands  there,  and  gather  tribute  from  the  inhabi- 
tants. On  July  23  we  left  Kamchatka  River,  and  four  days  later  Kam- 
chatka Cape  was  doubled.  We  came  to  Anadyrski  Cape  August  3  and 
from  there  went  to  the  islands  to  collect  tribute.  Moshkov  told  us  of 
an  island  Bering  had  discovered,  and  we  sailed  about  in  order  to  find 
it.  By  this  maneuvering  we  reached  the  southern  part  of  Chukotski 
Cape,  where,  on  August  5,  we  anchored  three  versts  from  shore.  It  was 
calm,  and  I  went  on  land  to  examine  the  coast  and  fetch  drinking  water. 
Close  to  the  shore  we  observed  a  small  fresh  stream  into  which  we  pulled. 
The  country  seemed  uninhabited;  but  not  far  from  where  we  stood  was 
a  herd  of  deer,  numbering  about  150  or  more,  guarded  by  two  men,  who 
ran  away  on  seeing  us.  I  killed  two  of  the  deer,  filled  two  barrels  with 
water,  and  went  on  board. 

The  next  day  two  Chukchi  came  toward  the  ship  in  two  haidaras  but 
would  not  approach  near  enough  so  that  we  could  enter  into  conversa- 
tion with  them.  When  they  had  looked  at  us  for  a  time  they  pulled 
away.  On  the  morrow  I,  with  nine  men,  went  to  the  spot  from  which 
I  had  seen  the  natives  issue  the  day  before,  but  all  that  we  found  there 
were  two  huts  of  earth  and  whalebone.    As  we  started  back  we  caught 

2  In  the  "Lettre  d'un  officier  de  la  marine  russienne,"  1753  (see  bibliography),  the 
statement  is  made  that  Pavlutski  ordered  Gvozdev  to  bring  the  provisions  left  by 
Bering  to  the  country  of  the  Chukchi,  whom  Pavlutski  was  fighting.  Gvozdev 
could  not  find  Pavlutski  and  therefore  started  back  and  accidentally. ran  into  the 
American  coast. 

'Archives  of  the  Ministry  of  Marine:  Papers  of  Count  Chernishev,  1762-1768. 
No.  367.  See  also  Zapiski  Hydrogr.  Depart.,  Vol.  9,  PP-  88-103,  St.  Petersburg,  1851. 


GVOZDEV'S  REPORT  23 

a  glimpse  of  two  men  who  ran  away  on  seeing  us.  We  got  under  sail  on  the 
8th,  steering  for  an  island  on  the  course  suggested  by  Moshkov.  On  the 
following  day  Fedorov  sent  me  a  note  saying  that  in  his  opinion  we  had 
not  yet  reached  the  place  in  question  [large  country]  since  we  were  still 
south  of  Chukotski  Cape,  and  asked  for  my  opinion.  On  the  loth  we 
sailed  back  to  the  spot  where  we  had  been  a  few  days  before  and  took 
on  fresh  water.  Two  days  later  we  ran  into  a  calm  and  anchored.  On 
going  ashore  we  saw  two  huts  and  people,  who,  on  noticing  us,  pulled 
away  from  the  land  in  three  baidaras.  We  managed  to  get  into  conver- 
sation with  them  and  asked  them  for  tribute,  which  they  refused  to  give. 
Having  a  fair  wind  on  the  15th  we  went  on  our  way  and  on  the  17th 
sighted  an  island,  but  on  account  of  the  head  wind  we  could  not  approach 
it  but  had  to  keep  close  to  Chukotski  Cape. 

Here  we  saw  many  Chukchi,  with  whom  we  tried  to  enter  into  conver- 
sation but  without  much  success.  When  the  wind  shifted  once  more 
to  fair  we  steered  again  for  the  northern  end  of  the  island  [one  of  the 
Diomedes].  Our  attempt  to  land  was  resisted  by  a  shower  of  arrows, 
to  which  we  replied  with  muskets.  After  a  great  deal  of  difficulty  the 
natives  told  us  that  they  were  Chukchi  and  that  some  of  their  people 
had  fought  with  the  other  Chukchi  against  Pavlutski.  In  cruising  about 
the  island,  which  is  about  two  and  a  half  versts  long  and  a  verst  wide, 
we  came  across  other  natives,  but  all  refused  to  pay  tribute.  We  made  a 
landing  and  examined  their  homes,  and  from  the  island  we  saw  the 
"large  country".  It  was  near  one  o'clock  of  the  morning  of  August  20 
when  we  left  the  first  island,  and  six  hours  later  we  anchored  off  the 
second,  which  is  smaller  than  the  first,  and  about  half  a  mile  distant. 
A  ship's  boat  and  a  baidara  were  sent  to  the  shore,  but  meeting  with 
an  unfriendly  reception  they  returned. 

About  three  o'clock  of  the  afternoon  of  August  2 1  we  sailed  for  the  "large 
country"  and  anchored  about  four  versts  from  its  shore.  It  was  now 
Fedorov's  watch,  and  he,  without  consulting  any  one,  gave  orders  to 
weigh  anchor  and  approach  the  southern  point  of  the  shore.  From 
there  we  could  see  huts,  but  in  spite  of  our  best  efforts  we  did  not  come 
as  close  to  them  as  we  wished  on  account  of  the  head  wind  and  the  shallow 
water.  The  breeze  veering  to  north-northwest,  we  were  obliged  to  stand 
out  to  sea  on  a  southwest  course  and  by  doing  so  came  to  the  fourth  island 
on  the  22nd.  A  strong  wind  was  blowing,  and  when  we  tried  to  approach 
the  shore  the  sails  gave  way.  The  sailors  then  came  to  me  and  asked 
that  we  return  to  Kamchatka  because  of  the  lateness  of  the  season  and 
the  stormy  weather.  I  referred  them  to  the  underpilot  without  whose 
consent  I  could  not  order  such  a  move.  In  the  meantime  there  came 
to  us  from  the  island  a  Chukchi  in  a  leather  boat  which  had  room  for 
but  one  man.  He  was  dressed  in  a  shirt  of  whale  intestines  which  was 
fastened  about  the  opening  of  the  boat  in  such  a  manner  that  no  water 


24  GVOZDEV'S  VOYAGE 

could  enter  even  if  a  big  wave  should  strike  it.  He  told  us  that  Chukchi 
lived  in  the  "large  country,"  where  there  were  forests,  streams,  and 
animals.  We  had  no  opportunity  of  going  ashore,  and  from  the  distance 
we  could  not  tell  whether  all  that  he  told  us  of  the  "large  country"  was 
true  or  not.  When  he  was  gone  the  sailors  spoke  to  me  again  about 
returning  to  Kamchatka,  and  I  answered  them  as  before.  Then  they 
held  a  council  and  drew  up  a  petition  addressed  to  me  and  the  underpilot, 
enumerating  many  reasons  why  we  should  go  back.  Taking  these  argu- 
ments into  consideration  we  decided  to  return  and  entered  the  mouth 
of  the  Kamchatka  River  September  28. 

Outside  of  the  islands  enumerated  we  saw  no  others,  and  the  reason 
for  not  indicating  their  exact  position  is  that  the  log  book  Fedorov 
and  I  kept  was  sent  to  Okhotsk  in  1733.  Another  reason  is  that  Fedorov 
when  on  watch  often  failed  to  make  any  observations  in  the  journal. 
On  returning  to  Kamchatka  I  asked  his  aid  in  drawing  up  a  map,  but  he 
refused  to  join  me;  and  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  undertake  it  alone, 
for  the  reasons  just  enumerated. 

From  his  own  account  it  is  quite  evident  that  Gvodzev  was 
not  aware  that  he  had  sighted  the  American  coast.  He  thought 
he  had  discovered  an  island.  He  says  that  after  anchoring  near 
the  first  and  second  islands  he  steered  for  the  "large  country" 
[third  island]  and  from  there  to  the  "fourth  island."  This  is  all 
that  is  known  of  Gvozdev's  voyage. 


CHAPTER  IV 

BERING'S  SECOND  EXPEDITION,  FROM    ITS  INCEP- 
TION TO  THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  SEA  VOYAGE 

When  Bering  returned  to  Russia  he  made  his  report  to  the 
Empress  and  to  the  officers  of  the  Admiralty  and  the  Senate  and 
tried  to  persuade  them  that  "the  instructions  of  His  Imperial 
Majesty  .  .  .  had  been  carried  out."  Some  clapped  their 
hands  while  others  shrugged  their  shoulders.  The  doubters 
maintained  that  as  long  as  the  coast  and  waters  between  the 
Kolyma  River  and  East  Cape  were  unexamined  the  problem  of 
the  relation  of  Asia  to  America  was  unsolved.  They  were  not 
without  arguments.  They  called  attention  to  the  numerous  Si- 
berian rumors  that  a  large  body  of  land  {bolshaya  zemlya)  existed 
north  of  the  Kolyma  River  and  another  east  of  East  Cape.  Were 
these  two  or  more  distinct  continents  or  islands  or  were  they  one? 
Were  they  part  of  Asia  or  part  of  America?  These  and  such  like 
questions  were  asked.  They  were  fair  questions.  Bering  was 
expected  to  answer  them  but  could  not  answer  them  satisfac- 
torily. 

Bering's  Proposal  of  a  Second  Expedition 

He  was  not  altogether  discredited;  for  it  was  realized  that  he 
had  done  a  good  piece  of  work,  even  if  he  had  not  done  it  as  well 
as  he  should.  That  he  had  ability  no  one  doubted,  and  it  was 
believed  that  with  his  experience  and  the  lesson  taught  him  he 
would  do  much  better  if  he  were  given  another  chance.  Bering, 
no  doubt,  desired  another  chance,  and  he  submitted  to  the 
Empress  the  following  propositions^  which  would  tend  to  encour- 
age her  to  send  another  expedition. 

'  According  to  Lauridsen's  "Vitus  Bering."  Chicago,  1889  (note  40,  p.  208),  first 
published  in  V.  Berkh:  Zhizneopisaniya  Pervykh  Rossiiskikh  Admiralov,  4  vols.. 
St.  Petersburg,  1831-36;  later  reprinted  by  Sokolov  in  Zapiski  Hydrogr.  Depart., 
Vol.  9,  pp.  435-436,  St.  Petersburg,  1851. — Edit.  Note. 


26  BEGINNING  OF  SECOND  EXPEDITION 

1.  According  to  my  observation  the  waves  of  eastern  Kamchatka 
are  smaller  than  in  other  seas,  and  I  found  on  Karaginski  Island  large 
fir  trees  that  do  not  grow  on  Kamchatka.  These  signs  indicate  that 
America,  or  some  other  land  on  this  side  of  it,  is  not  far  from  Kam- 
chatka— perhaps  from  150  to  200  miles.  This  could  easily  be  ascer- 
tained by  building  a  vessel  of  about  50  tons  and  sending  it  to  investiga- 
gate.  If  this  be  so  [the  existence  of  such  a  country],  a  trade  might 
be  established  between  the  empire  and  the  inhabitants  of  those 
regions. 

2.  Such  a  ship  should  be  built  in  Kamchatka,  because  the  necessary 
timber  could  be  obtained  more  easily.  The  same  holds  true  in  the  mat- 
ter of  food — fish  and  game  are  especially  cheap  there.  Then,  again, 
more  help  may  be  had  from  the  natives  of  Kamchatka  than  from  those 
of  Okhotsk.  One  other  reason  should  not  be  overlooked;  the  mouth 
of  the  Kamchatka  River  is  deeper  and  offers  a  better  shelter  for  boats. 

3.  It  would  not  be  without  advantage  to  find  a  sea  route  from  the  Kam- 
chatka or  Okhota  River  to  the  Amur  River  or  Japan,  since  it  is  known 
that  these  regions  are  inhabited.  It  would  be  very  profitable  to  open 
trade  relations  with  these  people,  particularly  the  Japanese.  And  as 
we  have  no  ships  there  [in  the  Okhotsk  Sea],  we  might  arrange  it  with  the 
Japanese  that  they  meet  us  halfway  in  their  boats.  For  such  an  expedi- 
tion a  ship  about  the  size  of  the  one  mentioned  would  be  needed,  or  one 
somewhat  smaller  might  serve  the  purpose. 

4.  The  cost  of  such  an  expedition — not  including  salaries,  provisions, 
and  materials  for  both  boats,  which  can  not  be  had  there  and  would  have 
to  be  taken  from  here  and  Siberia — would  be  from  it), 000  to  12,000 
rubles. 

5.  If  it  should  be  considered  wise  to  map  the  northern  regions  of  the 
coast  of  Siberia — from  the  Ob  to  the  Yenisei  and  from  there  to  the  Lena — 
this  could  be  done  by  boats  or  by  land,  since  these  regions  are  under 
Russian  jurisdiction. 

The  question  of  a  second  voyage  must  have  been  raised  even  in 
1730,  for  early  in  1731  arrangements  for  the  undertaking  were 
already  made.  The  desire  to  determine  the  relation  of  Asia  and 
America  was  not  the  only  argument  advanced  in  favor  of  the 
expedition.  Some  of  the  reports  on  that  subject  submitted  to  the 
Empress  pointed  out  the  benefits  to  be  derived  from  territorial 
and  commercial  expansion,  additional  naval  bases,  and  the 
discovery  of  precious  metals.  No  doubt  all  these  reasons  had 
their  weight  with  those  in  authority.^ 

2  Archives  of  State,  XXIV,  No.  8,  1732;  No.  9,  I732-I743. 


LAND  VERSUS  SEA  EXPEDITION  27 

Land  Versus  Sea  Expedition 

Another  question  that  came  up  was  how  this  expedition 
should  be  sent — by  land  or  by  water.  There  seems  to  have  been 
a  difference  of  opinion  on  that  subject.  Count  Nikolai  Golovin  ^ 
and  Admiral  Sanders  submitted  separate  memoirs  to  Her 
Majesty  recommending  that  two  ships  with  naval  and  other 
supplies  be  chartered  to  go  from  Russia  to  Kamchatka  by  way  of 
Cape  Horn  and  Japan.  After  discharging  their  cargoes  and 
resting  the  crews  the  ships  could  proceed  on  their  voyage  of  dis- 
covery in  the  North  Pacific.  Count  Golovin  even  offered  to  lead 
the  expedition  in  person  if  the  proper  support  were  assured  him. 

A  number  of  reasons  were  given  why  the  sea  route  was  prefera- 
ble to  the  overland  route.  In  the  first  place  there  would  be  a 
saving  of  time.  It  would  take  from  ten  months  to  a  year  for 
the  sea  voyage  from  St.  Petersburg  to  Kamchatka  and  a  year  or  a 
little  more  for  the  work  of  exploration  and  the  return  to  Russia; 
on  the  other  hand  it  would  require  two  years  to  transport  naval 
and  other  stores  overland  to  Kamchatka,  two  more  years  to  build 
sea-going  vessels,  and  two  more  years  to  make  the  voyage  and 
bring  back  the  results  to  St.  Petersburg. 

Why  the  propositions  of  these  two  prominent  men  were  not 
accepted  is  not  clear.  Perhaps  because  by  1731  and  1732  the 
expedition  had  ceased  to  be  regarded  in  the  light  of  purely  mari- 
time and  geographic  discovery  and  had  come  to  be  looked  upon 
as  one  of  scientific  investigation  in  the  larger  sense,  both  by  land 
and  sea,  in  the  Arctic  Ocean  as  well  as  the  Pacific.  It  had  been 
decided  to  send  along  scientists  of  the  newly  founded  Imperial 
Academy  of  Sciences  to  make  a  study  of  the  people  and  the 
resources  and  to  secure  other  scientific  data  about  Siberia  and 
the  lands  to  be  discovered.  Then,  too,  in  order  to  settle  beyond 
dispute  the  much-debated  question  of  the  relation  of  Asia  to 
America,  it  had  been  determined  to  survey  and  chart  the  Arctic 
coast  from  the  White  Sea  to  the  mouth  of  the  Kamchatka  River. 
It  was  assumed  as  a  matter  of  course  that  the  leader  of  the  expe- 

»  Archives  of  State,  XXIV.  No.  8,  1732. 


28  BEGINNING  OF  SECOND  EXPEDITION 

dition  could  supervise  its  various  activities,  and  therefore  it 
would  be  necessary  for  him  to  be  within  land  reach  of  the  differ- 
ent parties.  These  may  or  may  not  have  been  the  reasons,  but 
the  fact  remains  that  Bering  and  his  parties  were  ordered  to 
proceed  overland. 

Naval  Preparations 

Because  of  the  great  distance  to  the  Pacific,  the  difificulty  of 
transporting  material,  and  the  lack  of  laborers,  skilled  and 
unskilled,  for  the  building  of  sea-going  vessels,  the  naval  part  of 
the  expedition,  needed  most  attention.  On  July  30,  1731,^ 
Grigori  Pisarev  (who  had  been  appointed  commander  of  the 
port  of  Okhotsk  on  May  10,  1731)^  was  ordered  to  proceed  to  his 
post  and  make  ready  for  Bering's  coming.  Pisarev  was  told  to 
take,  from  different  regions  of  Siberia,  Russians  and  Tungus  and 
settle  them  in  the  neighborhood  of  Okhotsk  and  Yudoma  Cross — 
the  Russians  to  be  put  to  cultivating  the  soil  and  the  Tungus 
to  watch  the  flocks  of  sheep  and  the  herds  of  horses  and  cattle 
which  Pisarev  would  introduce.  For  the  peopling  of  Okhotsk 
Pisarev  had  instructions  to  pick  up  at  Yakutsk  300  young  and 
strong  men  from  those  who  wer.e  in  prison  for  debt  or  for  other 
crimes.  In  addition  he  was  to  take  from  Russia  20  ship  carpenters 
to  build  four  or  six  ships,  under  the  supervision  of  naval  archi- 
tects who  were  to  be  sent  by  the  Admiralty  College,  and  from 
Ekaterinburg  a  number  of  iron  workers  to  smelt  iron  and  forge 
anchors  and  such  things. 

Official  Order  for  the  Expedition 

The  official  order  for  the  expedition,  in  which  Bering  is  men- 
tioned as  commander,  was  announced  by  the  Senate  on  April  17, 
1732,"  and  this  was  followed  up  on  May  2  of  the  same  year  by  a 
general  outline  of  the  undertaking.^    On  December  28,  1732,  the 

*  Polnoe  Sobranie  Zakonov  Rossiiskoi  Imperii,  Vol.  8,  Doc.  5813.  St.  Petersburg. 
«  Ibid..  Vol.  8,  Doc.  57S3. 
»  Ibid..  Vol.  8,  Doc.  6023. 
''Ibid.,  Vol.  8,  Docs.  6041,  6042. 


OFFICIAL  ORDER  29 

Senate  issued  the  principal  instructions,^  and  a  summary  of  the 
main  articles  that  relate  directly  to  the  voyage  to  America  is 
here  given. 

1.  The  Senate  approves  of  the  expedition  in  the  hope  that  it  will 
really  be  for  the  benefit  and  glory  of  Russia.  It  has  given  orders  to  the 
governor  of  Siberia,  to  the  vice  governor  at  Irkutsk,  and  to  Pisarev  to 
assist  Bering.  It  is  sending  members  from  the  Academy  of  Sciences,' 
students  from  Moscow,"'  assayers  from  Ekaterinburg,  mechanics,  and 
others.  It  confirms  the  project  to  examine  not  only  the  waters  between 
Kamchatka  and  Japan,  Kamchatka  and  America,  but  also  the  waters 
along  the  Arctic  coast. 

2.  In  the  instructions  which  Peter  gave  to  Bering  it  was  evident  that 
Peter  desired  to  determine  whether  Asia  and  America  were  united. 
Bering  says  that  he  went  as  far  as  67°  N.  and  found  no  connection 
between  these  two  continents.  It  may  be  that  north  and  west  of  the 
mouth  of  the  Kolyma  the  two  continents  do  not  join,  but  no  one  knows 
whether  this  is  so  or  not.  In  order  to  settle  the  relation  between  Asia 
and  America  the  Admiralty  proposes  to  send  exploring  expeditions 
along  the  Arctic  shores  from  Archangel  to  the  mouth  of  the  Kamchatka 
River. 

4.  It  has  been  reported  that  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Kolyma  River 
there  is  a  large  land  {bolshaya  zemlya),  that  Siberians  have  been  on  it, 
and  have  seen  the  inhabitants.  It  is  ordered  that  Bering  should  investi- 
gate this  matter  very  thoroughly  when  he  is  at  Yakutsk.  If  this  is  a  true 
report,  he  should  send  a  sloop  to  investigate.  If  it  is  found  that  Siberia 
really  joins  America  so  that  it  is  impossible  to  proceed  to  Kamchatka, 
then  the  investigating  party  should  follow  the  newly  found  coast  as  far 
as  it  can  to  learn  in  which  direction  it  runs  and  return  to  Yakutsk. 

If  people  are  found  there,  they  are  to  be  treated  kindly;  they  are  to 
be  given  presents;  they  are  to  be  asked  the  extent  of  their  country  and  its 
resources,  and  they  are  to  be  invited  to  become  our  subjects  and  to  pay 
tribute.  If  they  are  unwilling  to  do  so,  they  are  to  be  let  alone;  and  no 
time  should  be  wasted  in  arguing  with  them. 

It  is  not  at  all  likely,  but  it  is  possible,  that  by  following  the  Arctic 
coast  our  explorers  may  come  to  some  European  settlement.  In  that  case 
they  should  act  according  to  the  instructions  given  to  Bering  and  Chiri- 
kov.  If  the  explorers  ascertain  that  Siberia  and  America  are  not  con- 
nected, they  should  proceed  to  Kamchatka. 

'  Polnoe  Sobranie  Zakonov  Rossiiskoi  Imperii,  Vol.  8,  Doc.  62gi. 

'  G.  F.  Mailer,  J.  G.  Gmelin,  J.  E.  Fischer,  Louis  Delisle  de  la  Croyere,  and  a 
little  later  G.  W.  Steller. 

"*  S.  P.  Krasheninnikov,  author  of  the  "History  of  Kamchatka,"  was  among  the 
number. 


30  BEGINNING  OF  SECOND  EXPEDITION 

5.  In  regard  to  going  to  America,  it  was  ordered  in  1731  that  ships 
for  this  voyage  should  be  built  at  Okhotsk.  If  they  are  ready,  Bering 
should  take  two  of  them  and  proceed;  if  they  are  not  finished,  he  should 
finish  them.  If  they  have  not  yet  been  started  on,  or  if  they  are  not 
seaworthy,  the  Admiralty  College  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  ships  should 
not  be  built  at  Okhotsk.  Bering  recommends  that  Kamchatka,  because 
it  has  more  timber  and  a  better  harbor,  should  be  selected  as  the  place 
for  shipbuilding.  Bering  desires  to  have  two  ships  for  the  voyage  so 
that  in  case  of  a  misfortune  to  one  of  them  the  other  would  stand  by. 
If  one  ship  is  completed  at  Okhotsk,  it  would  be  a  good  plan  to  take  that 
and  go  to  the  Kamchatka  River  and  there  build  the  other  one.  Bering 
is  to  be  in  command  of  one  of  these  vessels  and  Chirikov  of  the  other.  On 
the  voyage  they  are  to  keep  together,  work  together,  and  do  all  that 
is  in  their  power  to  advance  naval  science.  To  help  them  a  member  of 
the  Academy  of  Sciences  [Louis  Delisle  de  la  Croyere]  is  sent  along. 

6.  A  late  report  of  Captain  Pavlutski,  which  was  sent  from  Kam- 
chatka, stated  that  recently  Afanasi  Melnikovwith  a  small  party  returned 
from  Chukchi  Cape.  This  Melnikov  was  sent  from  Yakutsk  in  1725 
to  bring  the  natives  [Chukchi]  under  subjection  and  make  them  pay 
tribute.  Melnikov  says  that  in  April,  1730,  while  he  was  on  Chukchi 
Cape,  there  came  over  from  an  island  in  the  sea  two  men  who  had  walrus 
teeth  fastened  to  their  own  [pieces  of  walrus  ivory  in  their  lips].  These 
men  told  Melnikov  that  it  takes  a  day  to  go  from  Chukchi  Cape  to  their 
island,  and  another  day  from  there  to  another  island  ahead  of  them, 
which  island  is  called  bolshaya  zemlya.  On  this  bolshaya  zemlya  all 
kinds  of  animals  are  to  be  had — sables,  beavers,  land  otters,  and  wild 
deer.  All  kinds  of  green  trees  grow  there.  There  are  many  natives  on 
bolshaya  zemlya;  some  of  them  have  deer,  and  others  have  not.  Al- 
though such  reports  cannot  be  trusted,  yet  they  should  be  followed  up 
and  a  voyage  should  be  made  in  the  direction  of  the  islands.  If  they 
are  located  and  people  found  on  them,  they  should  be  treated  as  the 
instructions  in  Article  4  indicate.  Go  on  [from  there]  to  America  and  learn 
whether  there  is  any  continent,  or  islands,  between  Kamchatka  and 
America;  for,  aside  from  the  information  furnished  by  Pavlutski,  little 
is  known  on  that  subject.  On  the  map  of  Professor  Delisle  a  sea  is 
located  between  Kamchatka  and  the  Spanish  province  of  Mexico  in 
latitude  45°  N.  If  the  American  coast  is  discovered,  Bering  should  carry 
out  the  instructions  given  him  by  Peter  in  1725,  that  is  to  say,  to  go 
to  some  European  settlement.  If  a  European  ship  is  met  with,  he  should 
learn  from  it  the  name  of  the  coast,  write  it  down,  make  a  landing, 
obtain  some  definite  information,  draw  a  map,  and  return  to  Kam- 
chatka. Be  always  on  your  guard  not  to  fall  into  a  trap  and  not  to  show 
the  people  you  meet  with  the  way  to  [Kamchatka]. 


OFFICIAL  ORDER  31 

9.  Bering  is  to  take  with  him  2,000  rubles'  worth  of  presents  to  be 
distributed  among  the  natives.  Chinese  tobacco,  known  as  "shar  log," 
is  especially  worth  while  because  the  natives  are  eager  for  it. 

11.  In  these  voyages  search  should  be  made  for  good  harbors  and  for 
forests  where  timber  for  shipbuilding  is  to  be  had.  Let  mineralogists 
with  a  guard  go  ashore  and  prospect.  If  precious  minerals  are  found  in 
some  place  under  Russian  jurisdiction,  the  commander  of  Okhotsk  and 
the  principal  officers  elsewhere  should  be  notified,  and  they  shall  send 
ships,  miners,  workmen,  instruments,  machinery,  and  provisions  and 
begin  working  the  mines. 

12.  Geodesists  should  be  sent  to  examine  all  the  rivers  that  fall  into 
Lake  Baikal  from  the  east  in  order  to  find  a  nearer  way  to  Kamchatka 
than  by  Yakutsk. 

13.  Captain  Bering  and  all  the  officers  in  command  of  ships  at  sea 
should  keep  secret  the  instructions  from  the  Admiralty  College.  For 
Bering,  Chirikov,  Spanberg,  and  the  officers  in  command  of  the  sloop 
which  is  to  go  east  of  the  Lena  to  Kamchatka,  special  instructions  are 
issued,  and  these  may  be  made  public.  These  public  instructions  are  to 
state  that  at  the  request  of  the  St.  Petersburg,  Paris,  and  other  Academies 
the  Emperor  Peter  the  Great,  of  deserving  and  eternal  fame,  sent,  out  of 
curiosity,  an  expedition  along  his  own  shores  to  determine  whether  Asia 
and  America  are  united.  But  the  expedition  did  not  settle  that  point. 
Now  Your  Imperial  Majesty,  influenced  by  the  same  reasons,  is  ordering 
a  similar  expedition  and  for  a  similar  purpose.  If  you  should  come  to 
settlements  under  European  or  Asiatic  jurisdiction  or  if  you  should  meet 
with  ships  of  European  or  Asiatic  governments,  and  are  asked  the  object 
of  your  voyage,  you  may  tell  them  what  has  just  been  said.  If  they 
demand  to  see  your  instructions,  show  them.  This  will  allay  their 
suspicions,  because  it  is  well  known  that  European  Powers  have  sent 
out  expeditions  and  that  the  question  whether  Asia  and  America  are 
united  is  still  unanswered. 

14.  In  order  that  the  expedition  may  not  be  retarded  on  account  of 
delay  in  getting  provisions  and  supplies  of  one  kind  and  another,  the 
Admiralty  College  should  send  at  once  special  officers  to  Yakutsk  to 
build  boats  and  expedite  the  transportation  of  materials. 

15.  Because  this  expedition  is  harder  and  farther  than  any  that 
have  ever  preceded  it,  will  not  Your  Majesty  reward  with  money  all 
those  who  participate  in  it  and  give  them  double  pay  during  the  time 
that  they  are  engaged,  promote  to  the  rank  of  sub-lieutenant  the  geode- 
sists who  have  formerly  been  in  Siberia,  and  to  the  rank  of  ensign" 
those  who  go  there  for  the  first  time?    All  officers  should  receive,  either 

"  Bering  was  made  Captain  Commander  and  Chirikov  Captain  Lieutenant. 


32  BEGINNING  OF  SECOND  EXPEDITION 

here  or  in  Moscow,  a  year's  pay  in  advance  and,  if  they  desire  it,  another 
year's  pay  in  advance  either  at  Tobolsk  or  Yakutsk,  so  that  they  may 
get  their  outfits  and  depart  in  a  contented  frame  of  mind.  Bering  should 
arrange  with  the  governor  of  Siberia  and  the  vice  governor  at  Yakutsk 
how  the  men  are  to  be  paid  after  that. 

i6.  Louis  Delisle  de  la  Croyere,^^  at  the  recommendation  of  the 
Academy,  is  to  have  charge  of  the  astronomical,  physical,  and  other 
scientific  observations  of  that  nature.  Instructions  for  that  purpose  have 
been  given  him.'^  He  is  to  have  two  geodesists  to  help  him,  Simeon 
Popov  and  Andrei  Krasilnikov,  who  have  been  studying  in  the  St.  Peters- 
burg Observatory.  Professor  de  la  Croyere  requests  that  he  have  an 
interpreter  who  knows  French  or  Latin  and  a  mechanic  who  understands 
repairing  his  instruments.  These  two  men  are  to  be  furnished 
him. 


Advance  Parties 

Detachments  of  the  e.xpedition  began  leaving  St.  Petersburg  in 
February,  1733,  but  Bering,  who  brought  up  the  rear,  did  not 
get  away  until  April,  waiting  apparently  for  supplementary  in- 
structions, which  were  issued  in  March,'*  permitting  him  to  build 
the  ships  at  Okhotsk  or  in  Kamchatka.  The  route  followed  was 
the  same  as  the  one  taken  at  the  time  of  the  first  expedition. 
Spanberg  was  in  the  lead  and  had  orders  to  hasten  to  Okhotsk 
to  supervise  the  completion  of  the  ships  which  Pisarev  was  sup- 
posed to  have  on  the  ways  or  perhaps  launched.  When  Spanberg 
reached  his  destination  early  in  1735  he  found  no  Pizarev,  no 
ships,  no  quarters,  no  food,  no  Russian  agriculturalists  with  full 
granaries,  no  Tungus  with  herds  of  fat  cattle,  nothing  but  the 
old  cheerless  and  bare  village  that  he  had  left  behind  him  five 
years  before.  He  was  probably  not  surprised,  for  he  must  have 
heard  on  the  way  of  the  worthlessness  and  the  evil  deeds  of 
Pisarev. 

'2  Ix)uis  Delisle  de  la  Croyere  was  the  half  brother  of  Guillaume  Delisle  and 
Joseph  Nicolas^Delislc,  two  well-known  geographers  of  the  first  half  of  the  eight- 
eenth century.  Joseph  Nicolas  was  a  member  of  the  Russian  Academy  and  was 
instrumental  in  securing  this  position  for  Louis. 

■'  A  copy  of  these  instructions,  drawn  up  by  Joseph  Nicolas  Delisle,  is  in  the 
Library  of  Congress. 

"  Folnoe  Sobranie  Zakonov  Rossiiskoi  Imperii,  Vol.  9,  No.  6351. 


DIFFICULTIES  33 

Difficulties 

Not  only  at  Okhotsk  but  elsewhere  in  Siberia  the  well-laid  plans 
of  the  Senate  and  the  Admiralty  College  miscarried.  Bering, 
in  place  of  being  l^ft  free  to  look  after  the  important  work  of 
leader,  had  to  tarry  at  Yakutsk  and  other  such  places  to  do  the 
work  of  a  petty  oflficer.  He  had  to  recruit  men,  requisition 
horses  and  supplies,  and  start  them  towards  Okhotsk.  Either 
the  local  authorities  in  Siberia  could  not  or  would  not  help  him. 
One  blamed  another;  Bering's  own  officers  sided  sometimes 
with  one  and  sometimes  with  another;  and  as  a  result  the  mail 
carriers,  especially  provided  for  the  expedition,  were  loaded  down 
with  charges  and  countercharges  instead  of  reports  of  progress. 
The  authorities  at  the  capital  were  naturally  greatly  displeased. 
They  tried  to  help  Bering  by  relieving  him  of  the  control  of  the 
scientists  and  of  the  work  of  supervising  the  Arctic  explorations. 
Notwithstanding  this,  month  after  month  passed  with  compara- 
tively little  headway  made.  When  the  undertaking  was  planned 
it  was  assumed  that  in  four  years  Bering  would  be  ready  for  sea. 
According  to  Bering's  own  estimates  the  cost  would  be  10,000 
to  12,000  rubles;  but  at  the  end  of  that  period  he  was  no  farther 
than  Yakutsk  and  the  cost  had  run  up  to  300,000  rubles.  At  the 
capital  there  was  considerable  dissatisfaction,  which  the  Admi- 
ralty College  was  made  to  feel.  In  1738  the  Imperial  Cabinet, 
after  taking  into  consideration  the  cost  up  to  that  time,  the  bur- 
den it  threw  on  the  Siberian  people,  the  little  progress  made, 
asked  the  Admiralty  College  "to  look  into  the  Kamchatka 
Expedition  and  see  if  it  can  be  brought  to  a  head,  so  that  from 
now  on  the  treasury  should  not  be  emptied  in  vain."'^ 

The  Admiralty  had  to  throw  the  blame  on  somebody  and, 
justly  or  unjustly,  blamed  Bering  and  as  leader  held  him  respon- 
sible and  even  went  so  far  as  to  cut  his  pay  in  half  from  the 
beginning  of  the  year  1738  until  July,  1740.  Bering  was  caught 
between  two  millstones  which  slowly  but  surely  crushed  him. 

'*Opisanie  Dyel  Arkhiva  Morskago  Ministerstva,  lo  vols.,  St.  Petersburg,  1877- 
1906;  reference  in  Vol.  7,  p.  237. 


34  BEGINNING  OF  SECOND  EXPEDITION 

When  the  time  came  for  his  sea  voyage  he  was  pretty  much  dis- 
couraged and  worn  out,  his  physical  strength  was  gone,  and  with 
it  went  the  initiative  and  daring  so  necessary  for  a  work  of  this 
kind.  On  his  death  bed  Bering  complained^®  that  too  much  had 
been  expected  from  him — a  man  already  advanced  in  years — and 
that  those  who  should  have  stood  by  him  failed  to  do  so.  In  that 
great  Russian  world  he  stood  alone,  the  target  of  the  malcontents 
and  the  envious.  That  he  was  not  wholly  to  blame  may  be  seen 
from  the  orders  of  the  Admiralty  College  to  the  local  authorities 
in  Siberia  threatening  them  with  torture  unless  they  gave  Bering 
more  help.  Finally,  in  1739,  the  Admiralty  commissioned  two 
officers  on  special  duty  to  go  to  Siberia  to  take  charge  of  the  trans- 
portation of  the  supplies,  and  with  their  assistance  most  of  the 
things  needed  for  the  voyage  were  deposited  at  Okhotsk  in  the 
autumn  of  1740. 

Preparation  for  the  Sea  Voyage 

Since  coming  to  Okhotsk  in  1737  Bering  had  been  very  busy 
supervising  the  building  of  the  two  ships  for  his  voyage  to 
America.  In  June,  1740,  they  were  launched  and  named  the 
St.  Peter  and  the  St.  Paul.  Each  measured  80  by  20  by  9  feet, 
had  two  masts  and  was  brig-rigged,  and  carried  fourteen  guns, 
two  and  three  pounders.  All  the  needed  supplies  were  loaded  on 
these  two  vessels  and  on  two  freight  boats,  and  on  September  4 
this  small  squadron  left  Okhotsk  for  the  Bolshaya  River  (Fig.  3) 
in  Kamchatka,  where  they  anchored  on  September  20.  Here  Ber- 
ing left  the  two  freight  boats  because  they  were  not  strong  enough 
to  weather  the  autumn  storms,  and  with  the  St.  Peter  and  the 
St.  Paul  he  sailed  away  for  Petropavlovsk  harbor  in  Avacha  Bay 
(inset  on  PI.  I)  and  made  that  port  on  October  6.  Petropavlovsk 
was  a  new  harbor,  having  been  surveyed  and  charted  in  1740  by 
one  of  Bering's  officers;  and,  judging  from  the  sketch  which  he 
made  (Fig.  7),  Bering  and  his  company  constituted  the  whole 
population  of  that  village.  At  this  uninhabited  spot  the  winter 
was  spent  in  preparation  for  the  great  voyage. 

"  See  Steller's  account  in  Volume  2  of  the  present  work 


f'^iM^Ji'^f^^v'^ni^^f^m 


,iv.. 


.~vi    ,ai,;„£„ir.. 


.r\'^ 


j>i 


Translation  of  key: 

1,  traveling  church 

2,  warehouse 

3,  powder  house 

4,  Captain  Com- 
mander 

5,  Captain  Chiri- 
kov  and  Lieu- 
tenant Chikha- 
chev 

7,  prcfessor  cf  as- 
tronomy and  ad- 
junct 

S,  higher  and  lower 
office's 

9,  Lieutenant 

Waxel 
ro,  L  i  e  u  t  e  n  a  n  t 
Plautin 

1 1,  fleet-masters 
and  navigators 

12,  quarters  for  the 
crew  and  work- 
men 

I  J,  blacksmith  shop 

14.  medical  quarters 

15.  guard  house 

16.  lower  officers 

17.  native  Kamcha- 
dal  earthen  hut 

18.  native  summer 
houses  raised  on 
a  platform  and 
covered  with 
grass 

II),  batli  house 

20.  fresh -water 

spring. 
In  lower  right   cor- 
ner:]    Depth    is 
indicated  in 
fathoms. 


Img.  7  I'aesiiuik-  (](  a  iiianiiscnpt  map  01  tlic  llarlior  of  St.  Peter 
and  St.  Paul  (Petropavlovsk)  by  Elasin,  1740,  in  the  ..\rchives  of  the 
llydrographic  Section  of  the  Ministry  of  Marine,    Petrograd,  No.   1957. 


PREPARATION  FOR  SEA  VOYAGE  35 

According  to  Steller,  one  of  the  scientists  who  went  along,  it 
had  been  Bering's  original  plan  to  depart  from  Kamchatka  for 
America  early  in  May,  1741,  and,  after  discovering  that  conti- 
nent, to  winter  on  it  and  return  to  Asia  in  1742;  but  owing  to  a 
number  of  unforeseen  accidents  he  was  unable  to  bring  this  about. 
While  at  Okhotsk  he  had  prepared  the  sea  biscuit  for  the  voyage, 
and  these  were  lost  at  the  mouth  of  the  Okhota  River  in  1740 
as  they  were  being  taken  to  Kamchatka.  Then,  again,  because 
the  two  freight  boats  were  unseaworthy  he  had  to  leave  them 
behind  at  the  Bolshaya  River  and  have  the  supplies  transported 
by  the  natives  in  the  course  of  the  winter.  This  was  such  a  huge 
task  that  even  the  much-abused  natives  revolted,  and  it  was 
some  time  before  they  were  humbled  and  forced  to  do  the  bidding 
of  the  officers.  As  a  result  of  all  these  misfortunes  Bering  was 
late  in  starting  and  not  oversupplied  on  his  departure. 

On  April  23,  1741,  the  navigation  officers  began  to  keep  their 
records,  and  from  this  date  on  we  will  let  them  tell  their  own 
story. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  LOG  BOOK  OF  BERING'S  VESSEL,  THE 

"ST.  PETER,"  AND  OF  HER  SUCCESSOR, 

THE  HOOKER  "ST.  PETER" 

The  following  is  a  translation,  from  the  hitherto  unpublished 
originals  in  the  Russian  archives,'  (i)  of  the  log  book  of  Bering's 
vessel,  the  St.  Peter,  covering  the  period  from  April  23,  1741, 
to  August  9,  1742,  and  describing  the  preparation  of  the  ship 
for  sailing,  the  voyage  from  Kamchatka  to  the  Alaskan  coast 
and  return  to  Bering  Island  (June  4-November  6,  1741),  the 
wreck  of  the  St.  Peter  and  the  death  of  Bering,  the  life  of  the 
survivors  on  that  island,  and  the  building  of  a  replacing  vessel, 
the  hooker  St.  Peter;  and  (2)  of  the  log  book  of  the  hooker  St. 
Peter  from  August  10  to  September  7,  1742,  describing  the  re- 
turn voyage  to  Petropavlovsk,  the  home  por  in  Kamchatka 
(August  13  to  27),  and  the  attempted  continuation  of  the  voyage 
to  Okhotsk  and  final  return  to  Petropavlovsk  (September  i  to  6). 

The  Log  Book  of  the  "St.  Peter" 

With  the  help  of  God  this  journal  was  begun  this  April  23,  1741,  on  the 
ship  St.  Peter  by  Fleet  Master  Safron  Khitrov,  under  the  command  of 
Captain  Commander  Bering,  in  the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul, 
which  is  in  Avacha  Bay,  latitude  53°  i'  N;  longitude,  reckoned  from  St. 
Petersburg,  according  to  the  observation  of  the  professor  of  astronomy, 

•  There  are  two  log  books,  one  kept  by  the  assistant  navigator  Kharlam  Yushin 
(Archives  of  the  Hydrographic  Section  of  the  Ministry  of  Marine,  Petrograd:  1741-42, 
Nos.  642,  643,  644)  and  the  other  by  the  mate  Sofron  Khitrov.  Of  Khitrov's  there  are 
two  neat  copies  (Archives  of  State,  Petrograd:  1732-43,  XXIV,  No.  9,  and  Archives  of 
the  Imperial  Academy  of  Sciences,  Petrograd:  No.  120,  32:16:19),  and  it  is  almost  cer- 
tain that  they  were  worked  out  from  a  third  copy,  whether  Yushin's  or  Khitrov's  is 
not  clear.  The  Khitrov  copies  differ  from  one  another  in  places,  owing  probably  to  the 
fault  of  the  copyists;  and  they  are  not  as  reliable  as  Yushin's,  which  has  all  the  earmarks 
of  an  original.  For  that  reason  Yushin's  is  here  used  and  is  supplemented  by  Khitrov's 
wherever  the  latter  contains  additional  material.  Differences  of  more  or  less  importance 
between  the  two  logs  are  pointed  out  in  the  footnotes. 

I'rom  April  23  to  June  4,  inclusive,  Khitrov's  journal  is  used,  however.  "Journal" 
is  used  throughout  in  this  chapter  the  same  sense  as  "log  book." 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  SAILING  37 

Delisle  de  la  Croyere,   127°  31';   variation  of   the  compass   Y^    rhumb 
easterly. 2 

In  the  Harbor  of  the  Holy  Apostles  Peter  and  Paul 

April  23,  1 741 
Today  with  the  help  of  God  we  began  to  load  the  ship  St.  Peter,  on 
which  worked  eighteen  men.  The  main  shrouds  were  made  fast  to  the 
mainmast,  the  preventer  stay  was  also  loosely  secured;  calked  inside  the 
ship,  and  near  the  mainmast  hole  nailed  blocks  for  opening  the  cannon 
portholes;  cleaned  the  hold,  and  in  the  afternoon  took  on  ballast. 

April  24,  1 741 
This  day  there  were  eighteen  men  at  work,  and  they  brought  aboard  the 
ship  various  rigging,  also  topmasts  and  yards;    the  cannons  were  secured 
on  the  port  side  while  the  starboard  side  was  being  calked.     In  addition 
we  took  on  ballast. 

April  25,  1 7 41 

Sixteen  men  were  at  work  on  board  the  ship.  They  rigged  the  mainsail 
and  fore-topsail  yards,  worked  about  the  rigging,  and  did  some  carpenter 
work. 

April  26,  1 741 

This  being  Sunday  there  was  no  work. 

T  April  27,  1741 

There  were  seventeen  men  at  work.  Water  and  ballast  were  put  into 
the  hold.  We  rigged  the  fore  and  main  yards;  and  other  things  were  also 
done. 

April  28,  1741 
This  being  the  coronation  day  of  Her  Imperial  Majesty  there  was  no 
work. 

April  2Q,  1741 
Twenty-one  men  at  work,  rigging  shrouds,  backstays,  and  stays  to  the 
main-topmast  and  fore-topmast  and  stowing  casks  of  water  in  the  hold. 

April  30,  1 741 
A  strong  unsteady  wind  from  the  NE  accompanied  by  rain.    We  put 
barrels  of  water  into  the  hold,  raised  the  best  bower  anchor  clear  off  the 
ice  and  secured  it  to  the  port  side  of  the  ship,  and  made  fast  the  shore 
anchor  line  to  the  anchor  on  shore. 

2 "Rhumb"  is  used  in  two  senses  in  the  log  book:  (i)  in  statements  of  the  varia- 
tion of  the  compass,  as  here  and  in  the  24-hour  summary  at  the  end  of  each  day's  log. 
in  the  sense  of  "point",  or  11  '4  ^  of  angular  measure:  (2)  in  the  24-hour  summaries  and 
elsewhere,  in  the  sense  of  "course,"  i.e.  the  angle  formed  by  the  ship's  path  and  the  mag- 
netic meridian. 


Vi 


38  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

May  I,  1741 
Put  casks  of  water  in  the  hold,  broke  the  ice  around  the  small  bovver 
anchor,  and  let  go  into  the  water.    Took  on  wood. 

May  2,  1741 
Eleven  men  worked  today.  In  the  hold  wood  was  stowed  between  the 
casks.  To  the  mainsail  and  fore-topsail  yards  were  secured  ties  and 
blocks.  We  hoisted  on  board  the  spritsail  yards  from  the  ice,  put  the 
jib  boom  in  the  hoop,  hauled  aboard  the  small  anchor  from  the  ice, 
secured  the  hawser  on  the  port  side,  did  carpenter  work  in  the  cabin. 
Four  inches  of  water  in  the  hold. 

May  3,  1741 
Sunday  and  no  work. 

May  4,  1741 

A  light  wind  from  SW.  In  the  morning  there  was  frost  and  snow.  Six- 
teen men  were  at  work  in  the  boatswain's  storeroom,  on  the  port  side  of 
the  caboose;  doors  were  made;  and  on  the  starboard  side  beds  for  the 
lower  officers  were  furnished.    Other  work  was  done  also. 

This  day  Captain  Commander  Bering  with  Captain  Chirikov  and  all 
the  higher  officers  and  navigators  held  a  council,  to  which  was  invited  the 
astronomer.  Professor  de  la  Croyere,  to  decide  what  course  to  sail  first 
after  leaving  Avacha  Bay  in  order  to  locate  the  Terra  de  Gama,  which 
is  indicated  on  the  chart  of  the  above-named  professor  and  which  extends 
northward  to  latitude  47°.     [The  following  decision  was  made.] 

Decision  on  First  Course  to  Sail 

On  May  4,  1741,  there  was  a  council  made  up  of  Captain  Commander  Bering, 
officers,  the  professor  of  astronomy,  and  navigators.  After  listening  to  the  instruc- 
tions given  to  Captain  Commander  Bering  by  the  Imperial  Admiralty  College, 
especially  the  nineth  and  seventeenth  articles  and  the  sixth  article  of  the  general 
instructions  of  the  Senate,  it  was  determined  in  order  to  carry  out  the  instructions 
to  find  the  American  coast,  to  sail  first  after  leaving  Avacha  SE  by  E,  true,  and  to 
continue  on  that  rhumb.  If  no  land  is  found  by  the  time  latitude  46°  is  reached  to 
change  the  course  to  E  by  N  steadily  until  land  is  discovered.  If  land  is  found 
either  on  the  SE  by  E  course  or  on  the  E  by  N  course  to  coast  alongside  of  it, 
depending  on  its  extension  from  east  to  north  or  from  north  to  west;  if  it  should 
stretch  between  south  and  east,  to  leave  the  land  and  go  east  until  we  discovered 
more  land  and  likewise  to  follow  that  land  in  a  northerly  direction,  to  lati- 
tude 65°,  or  as  far  as,  with  God's  help,  time  may  permit.  If  we  should  reach 
latitude  65°  in  good  time,  then  we  should  go  west  to  the  Chukchi  Cape  so  that  the 
distance  between  the  American  and  Chukchi  shores  may  be  known,  and  from  there 
we  should  return  to  this  harbor.  If  on  the  above-mentioned  rhumb  the  winds  should 
be  contrary  we  should  keep  as  close  to  it  as  may  h>e  possible,  and  if  with  God's 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  SAILING 


39 


help  we  should  discover  land  then  we  should  make  explorations  as  the  instructions 
to  the  Captain  Commander  recommend. 

In  making  the  voyage  it  should  be  planned  to  return  to  this  harbor  during  the  last 
days  of  September. 

[Signed  on  the  original:]    Bering 

Captain  Alexei  Chirikov 

Lieutenant  Ivan  Chikhachev 

Lieutenant  Waxel 

Lieutenant  Plautin 

Fleet  Master  Sofron  Khitrov 

Louis  Delisle  de  la  Croyere 

For  Fleet  Master  Avraam  Dementiev 

Navigator  Andreyan  Eselberg 

Navigator  Ivan  Elagin 


^ 


vr^ 


. — \j-fioTm  /i^  ^ 


r^'^\^ 


i^y^t 


<l1*jS:. ._ 


Fig.  9 — Facsimile  of  signatures  of  Bering  and  his  officers,  probably  from  t'ne 
"Decision  on  First  Course  to  Sail"  of  May  4,  1741,  which  see  for  names. 


May  5,  IT4I 

Wind  from  SW.  Seventeen  men  at  work.  On  the  main  and  fore 
shrouds  the  catharpings  were  fastened.  Planed  on  the  inside  of  the  ship. 
Strengthened  the  foremast  and  nailed  planks  near  the  windlass. 


40  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

May  6,  1741 
Wind  from  S.     Gloomy  weather.     Seventeen  men  at  work.     On  the 
fore-topsail  the  hoop  was  repaired,  on  both  masts  the  chain  plates  were 
secured,  and  to  the  fore-topsail  yards  the  gear  was  fitted.     Water  was 
brought  from  shore  and  stowed  away  in  its  place. 

May  7,  1741 
Variable  and  uncomfortable  SW  wind.    From  shore  there  were  brought 
two  cannon,  two  falconets,  and  three  gun  carriages.    We  did  also  other 
kinds  of  work. 

May  8,  1741 

Wind  from  the  NE  and  unsteady.  Seventeen  men  were  at  work; 
rigged  the  fore  and  main-topsail  yards  and  topsail  sheets  and  clew  lines. 
Stowed  barrels  of  water  in  the  hold,  made  fast  two  cannon,  stowed  90 
poods '  of  strip  iron  under  the  commander's  cabin. 

May  Q,  1 741 
Unsteady  wind  from  the  E  and  gloomy  weather.    This  being  the  day  of 
Nikolai  the  Wonder-worker  there  was  no  work. 

May  JO,  1741 
Wind  from  the  S.    Snowy  weather.    We  hauled  the  ship  farther  from 
shore  and  let  out  the  spare  anchor  from  the  port  side  of  the  stern  and  did 
other  work  about  the  ship. 

May  II,  1741 
Wind  from  the  E.     The  sky  was  overcast,  and  it  rained  and  snowed. 
Nineteen  men  were  at  work;   they  brought  casks  of  water  and  ten  barrels 
of  salt  meat  which  they  stowed  aft  in  the  hold,  and  they  did  other  work 
as  well. 

May  12,  1741 

Easterly  wind  with  gloomy  damp  weather.  Nineteen  men  were  work- 
ing. They  brought  aboard  ship's  stores.  Scraped  the  foremast  and 
worked  on  the  rigging.  There  was  in  the  hold  7f^  inches  of  water,  and 
after  pumping  out  there  was  2H  inches  left. 

May  13,  1741 
Wind  from  the  S  and  unsteady.  Seventeen  men  were  at  work  bringing 
casks  of  water  and  stores  from  shore,  polishing  the  foremast,  putting  in 
place  the  running  rigging.  Today  we  corrected  the  compasses  with  the 
meridian  line — six  of  these  compasses  had  a  variation  of  /i  rhumb  east, 
and  one  ordinary  steering  compass  in  a  copper  case  had  ^  rhumb  east. 

'  A  pood  is  equal  to  40  Russian  pounds,  or  36  lbs.  avoirdupois. 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  SAILING  41 

May  14,  1741 

Wind  from  the  E.  Seventeen  men  at  work,  putting  the  rigging  in 
order,  stowing  away  the  stores  in  the  hold,  greasing  both  topmasts  with 
fat,  and  fastening  bull's-eyes. 

May  15,  1741 

Wind  from  S.  Eighteen  men  at  work.  The  anchor  which  was  down 
forward  on  the  port  side  was  hoisted  on  board  and  put  in  the  hold,  and 
in  its  place  was  secured  the  spare  anchor.  Spare  yards  and  topmasts 
were  brought  aboard  and  made  fast.  Ship  stores  were  brought  from 
shore. 

May  16,  1741 

Light  wind  from  SSE.  There  were  eleven  men  at  work  who  bent  on  the 
mainsail  and  foresail,  both  topsails,  and  the  skyscraper.  Dried  the 
spare  sails  in  the  wind. 

May  17,  1 741 
Sunday  and  no  work. 

May  18,  1 74 1 

Wind  from  E.  Twenty-one  men  are  at  work.  The  port  side  of  the 
ship  from  the  upper  wales  was  calked  and  pitched.  Stores  were  brought 
on  board.    Water  in  the  hold  5K  inches. 

May  iQ,  1741 

Unsteady  wind  from  ENE.  Cloudj',  but  occasionally  it  lightens  in  the 
E.  Twenty-two  men  working,  putting  chocks  under  the  longboat,  calk- 
ing and  pitching  the  starboard  side,  bringing  aboard  provisions  and  boat- 
swain's stores  as  well  as  the  articles  to  be  given  as  presents. 

May  20,  1741 

No  wind,  wet  snow.  Twenty-three  men  were  working.  At  the  order 
of  the  Captain  Commander,  Ensign  Lagunov  took  out  from  one  of  the 
casks  on  board  a  bucket  of  vodka  and  gave  it  to  Adjunct  Steller.  We 
floored  the  powder  room,  made  a  bed  for  Adjunct  Steller  in  the  Com- 
mander's cabin.  Examined  the  leak  at  the  bow  near  the  foremast  and 
made  repairs  in  the  Captain  Commander's  cabin. 

May  21,  1741 

Heeled  the  ship  on  both  sides  and  greased  the  under  side.  Gloomy 
weather  and  still.    Twenty-two  men  were  working  today. 


42  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

May  22,  1741 
No  wind,  cloudy  weather.     This  day  the  crew  with  its  bags  came 
aboard  the  St.  Peter  and  did  different  kinds  of  work.    Forward  there  was 
8  feet  10  inches  of  draft,  and  aft  9  feet  4  inches,  a  difference  of  six  inches. 

May  23,  1 7 41 

No  wind.  The  crew  has  divided  itself  into  two  watches.  Jib,  main- 
sail, fore-topsail,  staysail,  and  main-staysail  were  bent  on.  The  deck 
over  the  crew's  quarters  was  calked  and  pitched  from  below.  Six  inches 
of  water  in  the  hold. 

May  24,  1741 

This  being  Sunday  there  was  no  work.  We  hoisted  the  flag  and  the 
jack  and  dressed  ship. 

May  23,  1741 

No  wind,  cloudy  weather  with  rain.  At  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  Cap- 
tain Commander  Bering  inspected  the  crews  on  board  the  St.  Peter 
and  the  St.  Paul,  and  as  he  left  the  last-named  ship,  of  which  Captain 
Chirikov  was  in  command,  the  crew  gave  five  hurrahs  for  the  Captain 
Commander.  From  his  boat  the  same  number  of  hurrahs  were  given  in 
return,  which  was  answered  by  one  more  hurrah  from  the  ship.  The 
Captain  Commander  has  moved  his  quarters  to  the  ship.  Powder,  lead, 
and  shells  were  brought  aboard.  This  day  Captain  Commander  Bering 
gave  Captain  Chirikov  the  signal  code  which  is  to  be  used  on  the  voyage. 
What  follows  is  an  exact  copy: 

Signals  for  Use  in  Daytime 

1.  When  we  shall  wish  to  speak  to  you,  Captain,  we  will  hoist  an  ordinary 
pennant  from  the  main-topmast  and  crosstrecs  and  fire  one  gun.  If  your  lieutenant 
should  be  needed  the  same  pennant  will  fly  from  the  same  place  and  in  addition  the 
ensign  from  the  ensign  staff,  but  no  gun  will  be  fired. 

2.  If  we  should  desire  that  you  should  take  the  lead,  then  the  ordinary  pennant 
will  fly  from  the  fore-topmast  crosstrecs,  and  it  will  be  accompanied  by  one  gun. 

3.  If  it  should  be  necessary  to  anchor,  there  will  fly  from  the  flagstaff  a  tricolor 
flag  of  long  strips  of  red,  white,  and  blue,  and  one  gun  will  be  fired. 

4.  When  religious  service  is  to  be  held,  a  white  flag  with  a  blue  cross  will  fly  from 
the  gaff  and  one  gun  will  be  fired. 

5.  If  the  Captain  Commander  should  wish  to  talk  to  you  so  that  you  will  have  to 
bring  your  ship  near  his,  then,  in  addition  to  the  signal  for  calling  you,  there  will  fly 
a  blue  flag  from  the  main  yard,  accompanied  by  a  gun. 

6.  If  we  should  sail  close-hauled  and  you  in  our  wake,  and  if  you  should  see  the 
jack  flying  from  the  gaff  and  hear  a  shot,  that  is  a  signal  for  you  to  come  about  first. 

7.  If  in  stormy  weather  it  should  be  impossible  to  come  about  against  the  wind, 
we  will  signal  to  you  to  wear  in  succession,  by  hoisting  a  pennant  at  the  stern  and 
firing  a  gun. 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  SAILING  43 

8.  If  in  sailing  close-hauled  or  free  it  should  be  necessary  to  sail  with  the  wind 
then  a  blue  flag  will  be  hoisted  on  the  flagstaff  and  one  gun  will  be  fired. 

9.  If  on  going  with  the  wind  it  should  be  necessary  to  come  about  close-hauled 
on  the  starboard  tack,  having  the  sails  on  the  port  side,  a  red  flag  will  fly  from  the 
gaff  and  one  gun  will  be  fired;  if  it  should  be  necessary  to  come  about  on  the  port 
tack  with  the  sails  on  the  starboard  side,  a  blue  flag  will  fly  from  the  same  place  and 
one  gun  will  be  fired. 

10.  If  a  boat  with  men  should  be  sent  ashore  for  the  purpose  of  exploring  or 
taking  on  water  a  wide  pennar    will  fly  from  the  gaff  and  one  gun  will  be  fired. 

11.  If  on  the  way  we  should  become  separated,  we  are  to  look  for  one  another  and 
cruise  for  three  days  near  the  spot  where  we  lost  sight  of  each  other;  the  latitude  of 
the  place  shall  be  determined  and,  by  calculations,  the  distance  and  the  rhumb  from 
the  harbor  or  from  whatever  spot  the  reckoning  is  made.  If  during  that  time  we 
should  not  find  one  another,  from  which  misfortune  may  God  preserve  us,  then  we 
are  to  sail  on  the  rhumb  agreed  upon  with  you  and  all  the  officers,  a  copy  of  which 
agreement,  with  instructions  signed  by  me,  was  handed  to  you.  If  three  days  have 
passed  without  our  finding  one  another  and  if,  going  on  the  course  agreed,  we  dis- 
cover land  on  the  rhumb  where  we  expect,  we  are  to  beat  up  and  down  the  coast 
for  a  day  in  order  to  wait  for  one  another.  If  [land  should  be  found]  on  the  northern 
rhumb,  coast  along  it  in  a  southerly  direction  for  a  day  as  long  as  it  is  on  the  rhumb 
agreed  upon,  but  do  not  spend  more  than  a  day  in  going  south.  But  if  [the  land 
comes  to  an  end  before  the  day  is  out]  keep  on  the  course  until  the  end  of  the  day 
and  after  that  continue  on  your  course.  If  it  should  be  found  farther  south  than  on 
the  rhumb  expected,  coast  along  in  a  northerly  direction  until  the  course  agreed 
upon  is  reached  and  there  wait  a  day,  and,  if  we  should  not  find  one  another  there, 
then  go  your  own  way  and  act  according  to  your  instructions. 

12.  If  after  separating  we  do  not  soon  meet  again  and  we  should  be  in  a  region 
where  foreign  vessels  might  be  expected,  in  order  to  recognize  one  another  you 
should  fly  a  blue  flag  from  the  main-topmast  crosstrees  and  fire  one  gun  and  we  will 
fly  a  red  flag  with  a  straight  white  cross  from  the  same  place  and  also  fire  one  gun. 

13.  Signals  which  you.  Captain  Chirikov,  while  at  anchor  should  give  in  order 
to  keep  the  Captain  Commander  posted: 

14.  If  you  should  see  ships  or  sea  vessels  of  any  kind,  you  should  fly  your  flag 
from  the  main-topmast  and  keep  it  there  until  it  is  acknowledged  by  one  gun  from 
the  Captain  Commander's  ship.  You  should  then  dip  the  flag  as  many  times  as 
there  are  ships  in  sight. 

Signals  While  Under  Sail 

How  to  identify  one  another  is  indicated  above  in  the  14th  [12th?]  article. 

If  you  see  ships,  you  are  to  make  the  same  signal  as  when  at  anchor  and  fire  one 
gun.  If  the  distance  between  us  is  so  great  that  the  flag  cannot  be  seen,  lower 
and  hoist  the  topsail  as  many  times  as  there  are  ships. 

If  the  ship  should  spring  a  leak,  from  which  misfortune  God  preserve  us,  or  for 
some  other  reason  it  should  not  be  possible  to  follow  us,  then  stop  and  fire  two  guns. 

Should  you  in  the  daytime  desire  to  speak  to  the  Captain  Commander,  put  up  the 
ordinary  flag  at  the  main-topmast  or  fore-topmast  near  the  truck,  hoist  and  lower 
the  mainsail  or  foresail,  according  as  to  where  the  flag  is  flying,  and  continue  to  fire 
until  you  hear  a  gun  in  return. 


44  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

If  you  should  see  land  fly  both  the  flag  and  the  jack  and  keep  them  flying  until  the 
Captain  sees  them  and  hoists  his  flag,  and  then  lower  yours.  If,  at  the  time,  you 
have  up  the  flag  and  the  jack,  lower  them  at  once  and  fire  from  time  to  time  until 
the  Captain  Commander  hoists  the  flag  and  jack  and  fires  one  gun. 

Signals  for  Daytime  in  Foggy  Weather 

If  any  one  should  in  the  daytime  see  breakers  or  reefs,  the  ship  should  put  about, 
the  jack  should  be  hoisted  at  the  main-topmast  crosstrees,  and  the  gun  should  be 
fired  twice.  If,  may  God  preserve  us,  the  ship  should  run  aground,  lower  all  sails, 
make  the  signal  with  the  jack,  and  keep  on  firing  until  you  make  sure  that  the  others 
are  aware  of  the  danger  and  are  out  of  it. 

When  Sailing  in  Foggy  Weather 

If  it  should  be  decided  to  sail  in  foggy  weather  as  before  the  fog  set  in,  a  gun  will 
be  fired  every  hour,  and  you  are  to  keep  for  that  purpose  a  half-hour  and  a  minute 
glass,  and  as  soon  as  you  hear  a  shot  turn  your  glass  upside  down  and  count  the  time 
between  the  shots  and  then  do  likewise  [fire]. 

If  it  is  desired  that  you  should  put  on  more  sail,  a  gun  will  be  fired  every  half  hour, 
if  to  take  off,  every  quarter  of  an  hour,  and  you  reply  in  like  manner.  During  this 
time  there  should  be  ringing  of  bells  and  beating  of  drums  on  both  ships. 

If  it  should  seem  best  to  heave  to  on  the  starboard  tack,  three  guns  will  be  fired, 
if  on  the  port  tack,  five;  the  beating  of  the  drums  and  the  ringing  of  the  bells  should 
go  on. 

If  in  fogg>'  weather  it  should  be  necessary  to  lower  the  yards,  four  guns  will  be 
fired  and  the  ship  that  is  astern  will  in  the  meantime  lower  the  yards. 

If  after  drifting  for  a  time  we  decide  to  make  sail  again,  we  should  proceed  as  we 
did  before  we  drifted:  if  we  sailed  with  the  wind  before,  we  should  do  the  same  after- 
wards, each  ship  keeping  in  her  position,  so  as  not  to  become  separated  in  the  fog, 
and  following  the  course  agreed  upon.  If  in  the  meantime  the  wind  has  shifted,  keep 
on  the  course  just  the  same,  or  if  the  wind  is  against  you  keep  as  close  to  the  course 
as  you  can.    Fire  two  guns,  one  after  the  other  every  six  minutes. 

If  it  is  decided  to  anchor  during  the  fog,  the  signal  will  be  two  guns,  one  after  the 
other.  Then  after  we  have  been  at  anchor  a  half  hour  we  will  fire  two  guns  and, 
if  you  are  far  from  us,  will  keep  this  up  until  you  reply  by  a  gun. 

If  in  foggy  weather  it  should  seem  best  to  get  under  way  again,  continue  on  the 
course  held  to  the  time  of  anchoring,  that  is,  if  we  sailed  close-hauled,  then  keep  on 
the  same  tack  on  which  we  were  until  we  anchored;  if  we  sailed  with  fair  wind,  then 
continue  on  that  course  so  that  the  two  ships  may  keep  on  the  same  tack  and  not 
become  separated  in  the  fog. 

Keep  the  course  we  sailed  if  the  wind  is  favorable,  if  not,  as  near  to  that  course  as 
possible.    Fire  two  guns  one  after  the  other  every  six  minutes. 

To  fall  off  from  close-hauled  to  with  the  wind,  the  signal  is  three  guns,  one  after 
another  every  six  minutes. 

To  head  up  from  with  the  wind  to  close-hauled:  if  to  the  starboard  tack,  seven 
guns,  if  to  the  port  tack,  eight. 

If  we  should  be  sailing  with  the  wind  aft  or  on  the  quarter  and  should  decide  to 
change  course  a  few  points,  the  following  are  the  signals:  for  one  point  two  guns,  two 
points  three  guns,  four  points  five  guns,  five  points  six  guns,  and  so  on;  in  each  case 


PREPAR.\TIONS  FOR  SAILING  45 

the  number  of  guns  will  exceed  by  one  the  number  of  points.  If  we  are  to  go  to  the 
starboard  the  gun  will  be  every  twenty-one  [two?)  minutes,  if  to  the  port  every  three 
minutes.  If,  in  thick  weather,  land  or  a  reef  should  be  sighted,  make  the  same 
signals  which  the  Captain  Commander  would  make  in  such  a  case,  that  is,  lower  the 
yards  and  fire  four  guns.  If,  may  God  guard  us  from  such  a  misfortune,  you  should 
run  aground,  fire  one  gun  after  another  so  that  we  may  put  about  or  anchor,  and 
from  the  other  ship  acknowledgment  should  be  made  by  four  guns. 

Signals  To  Be  Made  at  Night  While  Under  Sail 

If  it  should  be  necessary  to  back  the  yards  against  the  wind,  then  two  lanterns 
will  be  hung  on  the  flagstaff,  one  under  the  other,  and  one  gun  will  be  fired.  If  with 
the  wind,  one  lantern  will  be  hung  on  the  gafif  and  the  other  on  the  flagstaff,  and  one 
gun  will  be  fired.  You  should  also  have  lanterns  at  these  places  and  keep  them 
there  until  we  take  ours  down.  That  ship  should  put  about  first  which  is  under  the 
wind,  and  care  should  be  taken  that  at  nighttime  we  do  not  run  into  each  other. 

If  in  bad  weather  it  should  be  necessary  to  shorten  sail  and  lay  to,  one  lantern 
will  be  hung  at  the  mainmast  and  another  at  the  foreshrouds  at  the  same  height 
and  ion  the  same  side,  and  two  guns  will  be  given.  At  the  same  time  you  should 
hang  out  lights  from  the  same  places. 

If  after  drifting  for  a  time  we  decide  to  make  sail  again,  three  lights  will  be  hung 
from  the  mainshrouds  at  the  same  height,  followed  by  two  guns.  You  should  hang 
your  lanterns  in  the  same  place,  and  do  not  take  them  down  until  ours  are  down. 

If  in  sailing  with  a  fair  wind  it  is  necessary  to  sail  close-hauled:  if  on  starboard 
tack,  that  is  to  say  the  sails  on  the  port  side,  two  lanterns  will  be  hung  from  the  fore- 
shrouds accompanied  by  four  guns;  if  on  port  tack,  that  is  to  say  sails  on  the  star- 
board side,  six  guns  will  be  fired.    You  should  put  out  two  lanterns  at  the  same  place. 

If  with  a  good  wind  at  night  we  should  be  sailing  free  or  with  the  wind  on  the 
quarter  and  it  should  be  decided  to  change  the  course  and  if  we  are  in  the  lead,  we 
will  hang  out  from  the  flagstaff  as  many  lanterns,  one  under  the  other,  as  the  num- 
ber of  points  in  the  course  to  be  changed.  If  two  guns  are  fired,  change  the  course 
as  many  points  to  starboard  as  there  are  lanterns,  if  three  guns  are  fired  change 
the  same  number  of  points  to  port.  Should  you  be  in  the  lead  the  signals  as  above 
will  be  made  from  the  jack  staff,  accompanied  by  guns. 

Signals  To  Be  Made  at  Night  While  Mooring  Ship,  Weighing,  or 
Coming  to  Anchor 

If  at  night  it  should  seem  best  to  anchor,  three  guns  will  be  fired  at  short  intervals 
apart,  and  two  lanterns  will  be  hung  in  the  mainshrouds.  You  should  then  hang 
out  one  lantern  from  the  same  place.  If  the  stream  anchor  is  to  go  down,  one  light 
will  hang  from  the  jack  staff  while  the  guns  are  being  fired.  In  that  case  you  are  to 
signal  with  a  light  from  the  foreshrouds  and  not  from  the  mainshrouds. 

To  moor,  or  stand  on  two  anchors,  one  light  will  be  displayed  from  the  mainmast 
and  another  from  the  foremast,  and  one  gun  will  be  fired.  You  are  to  show  a  light 
from  the  mainshrouds. 

If  at  night  it  is  necessary  to  raise  one  anchor,  three  lights  will  be  shown  from  the 
main-topmast  shrouds,  higher  than  the  light  in  the  main-topsail,  accompanied  by 
two  guns.    You  should  hang  out  a  light  on  the  gaff. 


46  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

If  at  night  the  anchors  are  to  be  weighed,  one  light  will  be  displayed  from  the 
mainshrouds  and  another  from  the  main-topmast  shrouds,  followed  by  one  gun. 
In  this  case  you  should  show  a  light  from  the  gaff. 

If  at  night  the  yards  should  be  lowered,  a  light  will  hang  from  each  end  of  the 
yards  and  so  long  as  they  are  down.  You  should  show  a  light  at  the  stern  during 
this  time. 

If  the  topmasts  are  to  be  lowered,  a  light  will  be  placed  at  the  very  top  of  each, 
and  the  topmasts  with  the  lanterns  will  be  let  down  at  once.  You  are  then  to  show 
a  light  halfway  down  the  mainshrouds  and  keep  it  there  so  long  as  the  topmasts  are 
down. 

When  the  topmasts  and  yards  are  to  be  put  up  again,  two  lanterns,  one  above  the 
other,  will  be  hung  from  the  gaff,  followed  by  two  guns.  You  are  to  show  one 
lantern  at  the  same  place.  When  our  lights  are  taken  down  then  yours  are  to  come 
down  too. 

Signals  at  Night  While  at  Anchor 

If  at  night  the  anchor  should  not  hold  or  the  cable  should  part,  two  lanterns  are 
to  be  lighted  on  the  flagstaff  and  as  many  others  as  you  have  on  the  mainshrouds, 
and  these  are  to  be  kept  until  the  situation  is  righted. 

If  at  night  there  should  come  near  you  a  strange  suspicious  craft  and  if  it  should 
be  impossible  to  notify  us  by  the  speaking  trumpet  or  by  sending  the  yawl,  hang  out 
all  the  lights  that  you  have  and  fire,  gun  after  gun,  until  the  Commander  replies 
with  one  gun. 

Signals  at  Night  While  Under  Sail 

If  you  find  it  necessary  to  drop  behind  us,  fire  once  and  put  up  three  lights  on  the 
foreshrouds. 

If  at  night  a  ship  should  be  seen,  put  up  one  lantern  on  the  mainshroud  and  two 
on  the  stern  and  explode  some  powder  or  light  a  fuse  and  while  heading  for  that  ship 
continue  to  fire  your  gun,  one  shot  after  another.  If  we  should  also  steer  for  this 
vessel  and  should  fire  one,  two,  or  three  guns,  you  are  to  follow  us. 

In  case  one  of  our  ships  meets  with  misfortune,  from  which  may  God  preserve 
us,  forcing  her  to  return  to  the  harbor,  and  conditions  are  such  that  it  is  impossible 
to  talk  over  the  situation,  if  she  can  make  her  way  back  without  help  of  the  other 
ship,  a  red  flag  should  fly  from  the  fore-topmast,  followed  by  one  gun.  If,  however, 
the  situation  is  such  that  it  is  necessary  that  the  other  should  follow  to  be  of  help 
in  case  of  need,  the  same  red  flag  should  fly  from  the  main-topmast  crosstrces,  and 
one  gun  after  another  should  be  fired  until  the  other  does  follow.  Should  the  mis- 
fortune happen  at  night  or  in  foggy  weather,  eleven  guns  should  be  fired,  and  the 
other  ship  must  approach  until  she  is  in  sight. 

If  one  of  the  ships  should  spring  a  leak  or  meet  with  some  other  harm  so  that  she 
cannot  continue  the  voyage,  she  should  display  two  lights  on  the  main-topsail  yards 
at  equal  height  and  continue  to  fire  until  the  other  ship  comes  to  help. 

Whichever  ship  sees  land  or  a  shoal  at  night  sliould  hang  out  as  many  lights  as 
she  can,  fire  once,  and  steer  clear. 

[The  original  signal  code  was  signed:]     Bering 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  SAILING  47 

May  26,  1 741 
No  wind.    We  dried  the  upper  and  lower  sails.    At  three  o'clock  we  took 
in  the  sails.    At  six  o'clock  the  wind  was  SSE.    The  Captain  Commander 
went  in  the  small  boat  to  look  over  Rakovaya  Bay. 

May  27,  1741 
No  wind,  cloudy  and  sunshiny.    Pitched  the  boat  on  both  sides. 

May  28,  1 74 1 
No  wind,  cloudy,  thick  weather.  Members  of  the  crew  went  ashore  by 
watches  to  have  a  bath.  At  ten  o'clock  the  wind  was  SSE.  At  two  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  we  hauled  on  deck  the  spare  anchor,  with  the  cable, 
which  had  been  down  at  the  stern  on  the  port  side,  and  put  in  its  place 
the  stream  anchor  with  the  hawser  made  fast  at  the  stern.  The  best 
bower  anchor  was  lowered  in  the  water  to  be  cleaned  and,  after  that,  was 
stowed  away  in  the  hold,  and  to  it  was  bent  a  cable  150  fathoms  long, 
which  had  been  unwound  and  spliced. 

May  2Q,  1741 
At  four  in  the  morning  a  shot  was  fired  to  signal  the  St.  Paul  for  reli- 
gious service.  Half  an  hour  later  another  shot  as  a  signal  to  get  under 
way.  (Main-topsail  loose.)  At  six  o'clock  the  small  bovver  anchor  and 
the  stream  anchor  were  weighed,  and  we  were  towed  out  of  the  Harbor 
of  the  Holy  Apostles  Peter  and  Paul  into  the  roadstead  of  Avacha  Bay. 
After  passing  the  leading  buoy,  leaving  it  to  starboard,  which  was  in  15 
feet  of  water  and  had  a  white  flag  at  the  top,  we  entered  the  roadstead 
and  let  go  the  small  bower  anchor  and  played  out  20  fathoms  of  cable. 
Took  soundings  and  got  7,  8,  9,  10,  5,  3,  4,  9,  12,  13  fathoms  and  blue 
slimy  mud.    When  the  gun  was  fired  we  hoisted  the  anchor  flag. 

May  30,  1741 
At  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  wind  was  S  by  E;  at  four  o'clock  SE. 
Cleaned  the  small  bower  anchor  cable.  The  Captain  Commander  issued 
a  supplementary  signal  order  for  Captain  Chirikov.  In  case  it  should  be 
necessary  to  be  towed,  the  ordinary  jack  should  fly  from  the  main-top- 
mast-standing-backstays opposite  the  top.  At  four  in  the  morning  the 
signal  was  made  for  the  lieutenant  of  the  St.  Paul  to  come  to  us,  and  in 
response  navigator  Elagin  came  and  received  the  above  signal  order  and 
returned  to  his  ship.  From  six  to  nine  in  the  morning  we  warped  between 
S  and  W.  During  that  time  we  made  three  tows  of  390  fathoms  each. 
From  nine  to  ten  we  made  two  tows  of  the  same  length  and  then  anchored 
in  g%  fathoms  of  water.  The  lighthouse  at  the  entrance  bore  SE>^  E 
from  us,  and  the  native  summer  homes  at  the  mouth  of  the  Harbor  of 
St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  NE  by  E.   The  winds  were  unsteady  and  shifted. 


48 


LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 


May  31,  1741 

Topsail  SSE  wind,  cloudy  weather,  and  occasional  sunshine.  Eight 
o'clock  in  the  evening  the  wind  was  from  the  SE  but  changeable.  The 
longboat,  in  charge  of  the  quartermaster  and  six  men,  was  sent  ashore  for 
water  and  returned  at  two  o'clock  in  the  night  with  the  water.  At  six  in 
the  morning  the  wind  was  from  the  NE;  we  hoisted  the  prayer  flag  when 
the  gun  was  fired,  let  out  a  quarter  of  a  cable  on  the  small  bower  anchor. 

While  the  ship  was  in  the  harbor  it  was  loaded  with  all  kinds  of  supplies, 
materials,  and  provisions  which  were  needed  for  our  sea  voyage.  The 
table  below  gives  the  kind  and  quantity  of  the  cargo  which  we  took  aboard 
the  St.  Peter.  At  the  stern  the  ship  drew  9  feet  5  inches,  at  the  stem  9  feet 
4  inches  of  water,  difference  of  one  inch.  In  addition  there  is  the  small 
bower  anchor  with  a  half  cable,  the  longboat,  and  the  small  yawl,  all  of 
which  are  in  the  water. 

Table  of  the  Materials,  Supplies,  and  Provisions  Taken  on  Board 
THE  "St.  Peter"  for  the  Sea  Voyage 


Ballast 

Strip  iron 

Groats      ^  !   !  !  !  !   !  !   ! 

(  Beef 

Barrels    \  Butter 

I  Pork 

Salt 

Flour 

Water  (barrels,  large) 

Water  (barrels,  middle  and  small) 

Wood      

Hardtack  (sacks) 

Powder 

Cannon  balls 

Cartels 

Cannon  (3  pounders) 

Cannon  (2  pounders) 

Falconets 


Units 

Poods 

800 

90 

32  1 
52  / 

217 

15 

165 

1 1 

80 

8 

TO 

6 

18 

100 

250 

35  1 
07  / 

1434 

14 ''2 

990 

382 

10 

34 

679 

57 

491 

25 

9 

184 

5 

92 

3 

16 

Russian 
Pounds 


37 
30 


June  I,  1741 
At  one  o'clock  topsail  SSE  wind,  sun  is  shining.  At  five  o'clock  a  very 
light  wind  from  the  E,  which  shifted  to  ESE  by  eight  o'clock.  We  raised 
the  small  bower  anchor  in  order  to  look  at  it  and  then  let  it  go  again.  The 
lighthouse  bears  SE,  the  native  summer  huts  in  the  harbor  NME.  During 
the  whole  twenty-four  hours  the  winds  veered  back  and  forth  between  S 
and  E.    In  the  hold  there  are  four  inches  of  water. 

<  A  total  of  4,907  poods  and  24?^    Russian  pounds  (40  pounds  to  the  pood),  or  about 
881^  tons. 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  SAILING  49 

June  3,  1741 
At  one  o'clock  the  wind  is  SSE.  At  two  o'clock  we  sent  our  boat  ashore 
for  water.  At  six  o'clock  we  saw  a  ship  under  sail  in  the  S  heading  for 
Avacha  Bay,  which  proved  to  be  the  double  sloop  Nadezhda  coming  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Bolshaya  River.  At  nine  o'clock  the  wind  was  SE; 
our  boat  returned  with  water.  At  eleven  o'clock  we  put  out  a  lighted 
lantern  at  the  gaff  for  the  benefit  of  the  above-mentioned  ship.  At  two 
o'clock  we  took  down  the  lantern.  At  eleven  in  the  morning  the  Nadezhda 
entered  Avacha  Bay  and  fired  five  guns  as  a  salute,  we  replied  with  three; 
when  she  had  come  abreast,  those  on  board  gave  three  cheers  for  the 
Captain  Commander,  and  we  returned  the  compliment  by  three  cheers, 
and  then  they  gave  three  more.  At  twelve  o'clock  the  double  sloop  came 
to  anchor  astern  of  us,  and  the  navigator  Ptichev  came  aboard  our  ship 
to  make  a  report  to  the  Captain  Commander,  after  which  he  left.  At  one 
o'clock  topgallantsail  NE  by  S  wind. 

June  4,  1741 
At  seven  o'clock  the  double  sloop  weighed  anchor  and  sailed  into  the 
Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul.  At  one  o'clock  calm.  At  two  o'clock 
we  had  the  anchor  apeak  and  beat  nearer  towards  the  mouth;  at  four 
o'clock  a  gentle  NW  wind;  we  put  up  the  fore-topsail  and  fore-topmast- 
staysail  and  steered  for  the  mouth.  St.  Paul  did  likewise.  At  five  o'clock 
the  wind  is  WNW;  we  hauled  up  the  two  topsails  and  were  being  towed 
SE  by  S.  The  strong  tide  was  the  only  obstacle  to  our  going  out,  and  we 
were,  therefore,  compelled  to  warp  SE  by  E  with  the  anchor  in  13 
fathoms.  At  eight  o'clock  set  the  sails  and  were  towed  SE  by  E  into  8, 
9,  10,  12,  14  fathoms.  Lighthouse  Vaua  bore  NME,  Vilyuchensk  Volcano 
[SWKW?],  depth  of  water  30  fathoms.  At  twelve  o'clock  Vaua  Light- 
house bore  NW  by  N^W,  2M  miles,  Vilyuchensk  Volcano  WSW,  Burn- 
ing \'olcano  NKW,  Isopa  Point  S  by  W;  carrying  all  sails  except  the 
spritsail.^ 

'Yashin's  journal  gives  these  bearings:  Vaua  Lighthouse  NWMN  (the  same  as 
Khitrov's  NW  by  NSW],  distant  about  2M  German  miles  [is  German  miles  to  a 
degree),  Vilyuchensk  Volcano  WSW,  Burning  Volcano  NJ4W,  Isopa  Cape  S  by  W, 
about  9  German  miles. 

Vaua  Lighthouse  was  located  on  Lighthouse  (Mayachni)  Cape  at  the  entrance  of 
Avacha  Bay.  Vilyuchensk  Volcano  is  south  of  Avacha  Bay  and  about  three  or  four 
miles  from  the  shore.  North  of  Avacha  are  three  volcanoes  close  together.  According 
to  Steller  ("Beschreilning  von  dem  Lande  Kamtschatka,"  Frankfort  and  Leipzig,  1774, 
p.  44)  the  most  northwesterly  of  the  three  was  called  Strelechnaya,  the  one  next  to  it 
Gorelaya  (Burning),  and  the  third  had  no  name.  After  reading  the  various  descriptions 
of  Kamchatka  ami  the  log  books  of  the  navigators  one  is  forced  to  conclude  that  there 
was  a  great  deal  of  confusion  on  the  subject.  Strelechnaya  Volcano  was  sometimes  called 
Koryatskaya,  Burning  Volcano  was  also  known  as  Avacha  Volcano,  and  occasionally 
one  of  the  last  two  names  was  given  to  the  third  volcano,  which  was  not  supposed  to 
ha,ve  a  name.  At  the  present  time  the  names  given  to  these  mountains  are:  Koryatskaya, 
Avacha,  and  Kozelskaya. 

The  term  Isopa  disappeared  from  the  maps  and  the  books  soon  after  Bering's  time. 
Isopa  C.ipe,  or  Hook,  judging  from  Steller's  description  ("Beschreibung,"  etc.,  p.  18)  and 
from  early  charts,  is  no  other  than  Povorotni  Cape  of  modem  maps.  (Mayachni  Cape 
and  the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul,  or,  in  its  modern  form,  Petropavlovsk,  may 
be  located  on  PI.  I  in  the  inset  of  Avacha  Bay;  Vilyuchensk  [Vilyuchin]  and  Koryatskaya 
Volcanoes,  on  the  main  map  of  PI.  I.) 


50 


LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

2    June  5,  1741.     After  Midday^ 


3 
0 

1 

1 

2 

3 

0 
u 

n 
.4 

I 

s 

ESE 

Light  wind  and  clear. 

2 

E 

Heavy  fog.  We  beat  the  drum  and  rang  the  bell  but 
received  no  response  from  the  St.  Paul. 

3 

SE/S 

EKN 

4 

E/N 

5 

NNE 

Took  aboard  the  longboat  and  yawl  and  lashed 
thera  secure. 

6 

s 

Fog  cleared  a  bit. 

7 

Lowered  topsails  on  caps,  wind  went  down.  St. 
Paul  N  by  E.  about  (7^4!  German  miles. 

8 

Lighthouse  at  the  mouth  of  Avacha  Bay  WNWJi W. 
4  German  miles.  Isopa  Point  SSW. 

9 

lO 

Cloudy,   stars  out.   St.   Paul  not   in  sight. 

II 

12 

wsw 

SE/E 

Hung  out   a  lighted   lantern  over  the   stern. 

I 

2 

3 

St.  Paul  NE  by  N  i  mile. 

4 

— 

S 

6 

wsw 

Light  wind,  drizzly,  cloudy. 

7 

ESE 

8 

sw 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

9 

10 

One  gun  was  fired  from  the  St.  Paul;  the  ordinary 
flag  was  hoisted  from  the  fore-topmast  crosstrees, 
and  the  fore-topsail  was  lowered,  which  was  the 
signal  that  the  officers  wished  to  speak  to  us.  We 
fired  one  gun  in  acknowledgment  and  started  for 
the  St.  Paul  about  eleven  o'clock. 

II 

E 

12 

Shipunski  Cape  NNEKE,  Burning  Volcano  NW 
by  W.  Isopa  Point  SWMS. 

'  Unless  otherwise  indicated  Yushin's  log  book  is  used  on  and  after  this  date.  The 
log  books  were  kept  according  to  the  astronomical  day.  which  extends  from  noon  of 
the  previous  civil  date  to  the  following  noon.  i.e.  June  s  of  the  log  began  at  noon.  June  4. 
civil  time,  and  ended  at  noon.  June  5.  civil  time.  In  timing  the  events  of  the  voyage 
this  should  be  borne  in  mind;  also  that  the  converted  civil  dates  will  be  those  of  the 
Russian  calendar,  at  that  time  eleven  days  behind  the  Gregorian  calendar.  See  also  foot- 
note 3,  p.  332.  The  noon  positions  on  the  chart.  PI.  I,  are,  as  in  the  log,  those  of  the 
end  of  the  astronomical  day.  and  the  dates  therefore  coincide  with  the  civil  dates. 

The  symbols  preceding  the  date  indicate  the  day  of  the  week,  as  follows: 


Sunday}       [Monday 


Tuesday 


Wednesday 


Thursday 


Friday 


b 

Saturday 


BEGINNING  OF  VOYAGE 

h  June  6,  1741.     After  Midday 


51 


3 

0 

c 
'X 

•3 

C 

5 

2 

3 
0 

u 

n 

i! 

I 

ssw 

EMN 

Topgallantsail    wind,    cold,    cloudy    with    occasional 
sunshine.     The  St.  Paul  fired  three  guns,  we  replied 
with    the   same    number;    we   drew   near   and    had  a 
conversation    with    Lieutenant    Chikhachev    through 
the    trumpet,    about    the    reckoning    from    Avacha 
and    other    naval    matters.      Later    we    signaled    for 
the  lieutenant  of  the  St.  Paul  by  hoisting  the  ordinary 
flag     from     the     fore-topmast     crosstrees.       Captain 
Chirikov  said  that  it  was  not  safe  to  send  a  man  in 
the  small  yawl  and   that  it  would  take  too  long  to 
put  over  the  large  boat,  and  therefore  the  lieutenant 
did  not  come. 

2 

ESE-^E 

3 

sw 

SE/EHE 

4 

The    compass    bearing   of    Vilyuchensk    Volcano    W, 
Burning  Volcano  north  of  Avacha  NW,    Lsopa   Point 
SW   by    W.      We   are   ESE   of   Vaua.    loH    German 
miles,    between    these    points    the    variation    of    the 
compass    is    '/i    rhumb  E.     Latitude  at  four  o'clock 
S2°38',  longitude  from  Vaua  1°.      This  place  is  our 
departure. 

S 

2 'A 

wsw 

SE/EKE 

6 

2% 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cool,  clear  with  passing  clouds; 
carrying  topsails,  lower  sails,  jib,  topmast  staysails. 

7 

8 

3 

Topsail    wind,    cold.      By    compass    bearing   the   sun 
went  down    W3i°3o'N;    latitude  .';2°.32';    true    bear- 
ing   40°.t8';    variation    of     compass     9°i8'E.     or     'A 
rhumb. 

9 

2 

10 

iH 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cold. 

II 

I 

sw 

Clear 

12 

2  '  i 

I 

I  H 

svv 

Stars  shining. 

2 

iH 

Si.  Paul  N  by  W  not  far  from  us. 

3 

2K 

4 

3 

Topsail  wind,  cold. 

5 

4 

Sky  overcast. 

6 

4 '-4 

4'4 

4!-4 

S 

4'A 

Sun  shining. 

7 

8 

Reef-topsail  wind,  cold,  weather  as  before. 

9 

10 

ssw 

II 

Clewed    up    the    mainsail    and    foresail    in    order    to 
wait  for  the  St.  Paul,  which  was  astern  of  us. 

12 

4 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

H  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours                                  [!                From  Vaua 

Rhumb ' 

J  0 

|1J 

0 

c 

0^ 

i 

c  c 

5^^ 

XI 
B 

3 

OS 

c 
0 

By   Dead 
Reckoning 

SE/E 

62  J< 

S 
3S' 

E 
51.8 

84.8' 

S2°03' 

2S>< 

SE/E 
3°3o'E 

2''24' 

'  For  different  significance  of  "rhumb"  in  the  log,  see  footnote  2,  above. 


52 


LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 
^  June  7,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

0 

s 

•0 

B 

3 
0 
0 

I 

4 

sw 

ESE>JE 

Topsail  wind.  cold,  cloudy.  Signaled  to  the  5/. 
Paul  to  go  ahead,  which  was  done. 

2 

4 

3 

S 

ESE'iE 

4 

6M 

S 

SK 

ssw 

Wind  and  weather  as  before;  carrying  the  topsails 
at  yi  topmast. 

6 

SK 

7 

5 

sw/s 

ESE 

8 

S 

9 

4 

Light  rain.     The  St.  Paul  is  seen  in  the  E. 

10 

II 

S 

12 

4 

I 

2 

w 

ESE ■ ,  E 

Topsail    wind,    southwesterly    swell. 

2 

IM 

WNW 

ESE 

3 

3 

NNE 

Set  the  foresail,  mainsail,  trysail;  hoisted  staysail 
and  jib. 

4 

4K 

NE 

S 

6 

NNE 

Reef-topsail    wind,    cold,    weather    as    before. 

6 

SK 



Reef-topsail    wind,    cold;    hauled    down   jib. 

7 

6, '4 

8 

Undersail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

9 

7 

Lowered  the  topmast  staysails. 

10 

7 

Reef-undersail  wind;  took  three  reefs  in  the  main" 
topsail,   two  in   the  fore-topsail,   and   then  furled. 

II 

6 

12 

4M 

Undersail  wind,  cloudy. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

K  rhumb  E 

In  24 

lours 

From  Vaua 

J3 

a 

^ 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

S 

3 

0: 

B 
0 

.J 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

SE/E 
3°42'E8 

118 

S 
59' 

E 
102 

161' 

SI°03' 

1     SS'-^ 

SE/E 
4''oi'E 

S°o,';' 

'  Throughout  the  log  of  the  Si.  Peter,  the  course  from  one  noon  position  to  the  next 
and  the  rhumb  from  Vaua  are  expressed,  as  here,  in  whole  points  of  the  compass  modified 
by  that  portion  of  a  point  (11°  is')  needed  to  define  the  course  exactly  to  the  minute. 
Thus,   SE/H  3'  42'  E,  expressed  in  azimuth,  would  be  123°  4S'-3°  42' =  120°  03'. 


I«l.rr.ri.«    It    /   /l.xj...^      -|I.,u..t      fI«->    <vll<.    t   /loo 


^.«i      llin)k       tift        ?«_>•     (||CJ.^H< 


trio  («<,,, t..Z    ^iJo'nj-   uM>^} 


.1  <yj>     .4.^"--   ^  ""--^ 


1,-,,,,^      n. 


^t4Cf^      f  /   »»      ■'.'.(«.' 


(Ul^^tl     ( J'"        (> -  •- 


i-J-J-..i...-a 


',CJie|f9i(09V<5'  '^1 .  03      70^0  i  o>c    <i  j.^ 


I'M,.  Id— I'a.-iniik-  (it  a  jjaue  of  thu  lug  buok  of  the  6/.  iV/t;- kept  bv  Vusliiii: 
entry  of  June  7,   1741   (for  text,  see  opposite  page). 

The  present  reprint  of  the  log  book  differs  from  the  arrangement  of  the  original 
in  that  the  order  of  columns  i,  2,  3,  4.  5  in  the  body  of  the  log  has  been  changed  to 
I.  2,  5,  3,  4,  and  that,  in  the  summary  at  the  end,  boxes  i,  2,  3  under  "From  Vaua" 
have  been  transposed   to   2,    i,   3. 


BEGINNING  OF  VOYAGE 

(^  June  8,  1741.     After  Midday 


53 


3 

0 

S 

0 

c 

T3 
C 

2 

3 
0 
u 

1 
J 

I 

(>'4 

N 

ESE 

Undersail  wind,  sky  overcast. 

2 

S'i 

3 

4 

4*4 

S 

4^.> 

6 

S 

7 

5 

NNE 

Reef-topsail  wind,  weather  as  before;  clewed  up 
the  mainsail. 

8 

4M 

9 

4K 

NE/N 

1 

10 

4 

1 

II 

3 'A 

Hoisted  the  reefed  fore-topsail. 

12 

3H 

I 

2H 

.s 

Topgallant-sail  wind,  cold,  sea  from  N. 

2 

2^-3 

3 

2K 

4 

3y2 

Signaled   to  the  St.   Paul   to   take   the   lead. 

S 

4 

Let  out  one  reef  in  the  fore-topsail  and  two  in  the 
main-topsail. 

6 

4 

7 

3'i 

8 

4."  4 

9 

4ii 

NNK 

Topsail   wind,   cold,   cloudy   and   sunshiny   in   turn. 

10 

4M 

II 

4 

Set  the  jib  and  topmast-staysail,  hoisted  the  main- 
sail. 

12 

3>i 

Sun  shining,  took  observation:  zenith  distance 
26°2o',  declination  of  the  sun  23°27',  lacitude  49° 
47'  N. 9 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

H  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

S 

3 

a 

*-> 
".  c 

515 

c 

Q.3 

c  c 

J2 

B 

a 

c 

0 

By 
Observation 

SE 
4°oi'E 

116 

S 
76' 

E 
88 

137' 

49°47' 

SS'A 

SE/E 

0°20'S 

7°22' 

9  Khitrov   gives 
figure  for  latitude 


zenith   distance    26°59',    declination   23°27',   latitude  49°S5'.       Thi? 
has  been  used  on  the  chart  (PI.  I). 


54  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

(^  June  9,  1741.     After  Midday 


u 

t 

X 

1 

2 
3 
0 
u 

I 

I 

NNE 

ESEME 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cold,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

2 

iH 

Lowered  topsails,  mainsail,  foresail,  jib,  main- 
topsail,  staysail,  and  trysail. 

3 

3 'A 

4 

3'A 

S 

3 

ESE 

6 

3H 

N 

Lowered  main-topmast  staysail,  clewed  up  trysail. 

7 

3K 

8 

314 

9 

2K 

Clewed  up  mainsail  and  foresail. 

10 

2K 

II 

3 

NNW 

Hoisted  mainsail  and  foresail. 

12 

3 

The  5/.  Paul  is  about   'i  mile  away. 

I 

3J4 

2 

3!^ 

Topsail  wind,  cold,  cloudy,  and  rainy. 

3 

3>A 

ESEME 

Hoisted  the  jib,  the  main-topmast  staysail,  set  the 
trysail. 

4 

4K 

S 

4>4 

ESE 

6 

5« 

Wind  freshening. 

7 

6K 

8 

SH 

9 

6 

NNE 

Reef-topsail   wind,   cold,    clear   with    passing   clouds. 

10 

S 

II 

4M 

12 

4M 

Same  as  before,  clear.  Took  observation:  zenith 
distance  2s''2o',  declination  of  the  sun  23°3o',  lat- 
itude 48''so',  variation  of  the  compass  i  rhumb, 
because  in  the  course  of  the  day  and  without  inter- 
ference the  difference  between  the  dead  reckoning  and 
the  observation  was  9  minutes  of  latitude  N.  10 

In  24  hours 

1 

F 

rom  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

K  rhumb  E 

J3 

E 

3 

.JO 

c 

a 

03 

a 

B  C 

■'IS 

.2SS 
00 

.a 
B 

3 
JS 

a 

c 
0 

By 
Observation 

•SE/E 
i°04'S 

98.S 

s 

57' 

E 
82 

128' 

48°So'll 

108  K 

SE/E 
o°28'S 

9°30' 

Id  Khitrov  gives  the  latitude  as  48  °48'. 


SEARCH  FOR  DE  GAMA  LAND 

^  June  10,  1741.     After  Midday 


55 


3 

0 

0 

c 

■0 

c 

2 

3 
0 

a 

1 

t 

4K 

N/W 

ESE 

Topsail  wind,  cold,  cloudy,  light  rain;  carrying 
topsails,  lower  sails,  and  staysails. 

2 

S 

E,S 

^ 

S 

4 

4K 

Drew  near  the  5/.  Paul  and  talked  over  our  position 
and  the  distance  from  Vaua.  Agreed  that  the  vari- 
ation of  the  compass  should  be  taken  as  i  rhumb. 

5 

3H 

ESESE 

6 

S'^ 

ESE 

7 

5'j 

8 

5 

Reef-topsail  wind  and  cold. 

Q 

SM 

Cloudy  and  rainy. 

10 

6 

The  St.  Paul  had  out  two  lighted  lanterns  as  a  signal 
that  soundings  are  being  taken;  we  shortened  sail 
and   sounded    in   90   fathoms,   but   no   bottom. 

II 

4ji 

Got  under  way  again,  took  two  reefs  in  the  main- 
topsail  and  a  second  in  the  fore-topsail. 

12 

s 

I 

3K 

NNE 

2 

3li 

Two  lighted  lanterns  on  the  St.  Paul  as  a  signal 
that  soundings  are  being  taken. 

3 

A'A 

NE 

!-i 

4 

3 

3K 

S 

6 

4 

7 

AM 

Topsail  wind.  cold. 

8 

3'^ 

ENE 

SE 

!-i 

Let  out  the  reefs  in  the  topsail. 

9 

2  '4 

NE   E 

SE   K           K 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cold,  cloudy. 

10 

2^4 

I 

Sunshine. 

II 

2 

I 

Carr>'ing  topsails,  lower  sails,  staysails,  and  jib. 

12 

I 

I 

Air  clear,  sunshine,  took  observation:  zenith  distance 
23°s8'.  declination  of  the  sun  23°29',  latitude  47° 
27'.  variation  of  the  compass  iK  rhumb,  because 
the  difference  between  the  dead  reckoning  and  the 
observation  is  28  minutes.  " 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I     rhumb  E 

.0 
c 
3 

2 
.J  0 

r.  C 

5^ 

Ij 

03 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

3 

A 

05 

i 

By 

Observation 

SE 
0°34'S 

116 

S 
83' 

E 
81 

122' 

47°27' 

137^ 

SE/E 
2''49'S 

II°32' 

11  Khitrov  gives  the  latitude  as  47°29'. 


56  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

If  June  II,  1741.     After  Midday 


u 
a 
0 
X 

0 

c 

T3 
B 

2 

3 
0 
U 

I 

2H 

NE 

ESE 

M 

Topgallantsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds; 
carrying    topsails,    lower   sails,    trysail,    and    jib. 

2 

4 
4M 

K 

3 

Ji 

Topsail  wind,  cold,  weather  as  before. 

4 

4^^ 

K 

S 

4 

SE/EKE 

K 

6 

i'A 

y^ 

Signaled  to  the  Si.  Paul  to  come  towards  us  to 
talk  over  the  position,  the  distance  from  Vaua, 
the  variation  of  the  compass.  This  was  done.  It 
was  agreed  that,  if  at  night  bottom  should  be 
found,  a  gun  should  be  fired  as  a  signal  to  heave 
to   until  the  other  ship  came  up. 

7 

2'A 

ESEKE 

•A 

8 

iH 

SE/E>^E 

'A 

Took  a  reef  in  the  topsails.  Si.  Paul  SE  by  S,  two 
lights  on  it  as  a  signal  that  sounding  was  going 
on;  we  also  sounded  in  90  fathoms  but  no  bottom. 

9 

2 

NE/E 

'A 

10 

3K 

'A 

II 

3 

'A 

12 

2K 

NE 

ESE 

A 

I 

2K 

SE/EKE 

Ji 

2 

ESE 

A 

3 

3K 

A 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cold. 

4 

2K 

A 

5 

3J4 

ESEJ^E 

A 

Si.  Paul  E  by  S,  M  mile. 

6 

2K 

•A 

7 

3 

A 

Wind  freshening. 

8 

3K 

A 

9 

4 

N/E 

EKS 

A 

Topsail  wind,  cold,  cloudy. 

10 

4K 

EMS 

>^ 

Wind  freshening;  carrying  reefed  topsails,  lower 
sails,  staysails,  and  jib. 

II 

4K 

E/S 

12 

4K 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

t^  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

F 

rem  Vaua 

J2 

E 

3 
Pi 

0 

B 

a 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

.a 

s 

3 

DO 
§ 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

SE/E 
2''S4'S 

79A 

s 
47. s' 

E 
64 

93' 

46°40' 

IS6A 

SE/E 
2°47'S 

I3°OS' 

SEARCH  FOR  DE  GAM  A  LAND 
$  June  12,  1741.     After  Midday 


57 


S 
0 

s 

0 

B 

■0 

c 

3 

0 

I 

4 

NE/N 

ESEME 

Topgallantsail  wind.  cold,  cloudy;  carrying  all 
sails  except  the  spritsail;  let  out  reefs  in  the  topsails. 

2 

4^4 

/i 

3 

A 'A 

/i 

4 

4'/' 

ESEJiE 

^ 

Clear  with  passing  fog. 

■; 

i'A 

E/S 

/i 

6 

4^ 

■i 

Topsail  wind.  cold. 

7 

4!-J 
4K 

A 

8 

A 

St.  Paul  E>iS,  not  far  away. 

9 

3K 

NNE 

EMS 

I 

10 

3 

E 

I 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cold,  cloudy;  occasionally  the 
moon  and  stars  shine;  foggy.  Took  a  reef  in  the 
topsails,  during  the  fog  bells  were  rung  on  the 
St.  Paul  and  on  our  ship. 

II 

2  H 

EKS 

I 

12 

2K 

ESE"^E 

I 

I 

I  '4 

I 

NE    N 

E/S 

2 

Two  lights  on  the  St.  Paul,  which  means  that  sound- 
ings are  taken. 

2 

2 

3 

I 

2 

We  also  sounded  in  90  fathoms  but  found  no 
bottom.      Little  wind,  fog,   wet,   northerly  swell. 

4 

K 

2 

5 

ji 

NNE 

>i 

6 

I 

K 

Let  out  the  reefs  in  the  topsails. 

7 

i^ 

>i 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cold,  cloudy  and  sunshiny 
and  foggy. 

8 

iJi 

I  "i 

<5 

I 

iJi 

10 

I 

I'A 

II 

I 

iji 

12 

I 

Took  an  observation:  zenith  distance  22  "44', 
declination  of  the  sun  23°3o',  latitude  46°i4'N.i2 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

1%  rhumb  E 

In  24 

lours 

From  Vaua 

J3 

E 
3 
,s 
0: 

iJ 

5  = 

. 

-J 

B  C 
—  to  ? 

QO 

E 

3 
Si 

c 

By 
Observation 

SE/E 
S°i6'E 

51 

s 
26' 

E 
48 

69' 

46° 14' 

170M 

SE/E 
2'>09'S 

I4°i4' 

12  Khitrov  gives  the  latitude  as  46°09'. 


58  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

Tp  June  I  J,  1 74  J.     After  Midday 


3 
O 

-t-> 
O 
C 

~1/a 

c 

2 

3 
0 

U 

a 

I 

NNE 

E/S 

2K 

Little  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds;  carrying 
topsails,   foresail,    and    trysail;   northerly   swell. 

2 

I  Ji 

NE/N 

2  y. 

3 

I  M 

2K 

4 

I 

2K 

5 

I 

N 

ENE 

Unsteady  wind  and  little  of  it.  clear.  Through 
the  trumpet  had  a  talk  with  Captain  Chirikov 
about  our  position,  course,  and  distance  from  Vaua. 
It  was  unanimously  agreed  to  change  the  course 
and  sail  ENE  n  Wind  shifted  at  s  o'clock, 
and,  because  of  the  night,  we  took  a  reef  in  topsails. 

6 

2  ;^ 

7 

K 

2M 

S 

I 

2M 

9 

'A 

N/E 

E/N 

2M 

lO 

% 

NE/N 

E/S 

2M 

II 

I 

2M 

Si.  Paul  NNE,   'i  mile. 

12 

N    E 

E/N 

2K 

I 

■-i 

N 

ENE 

2>i 
2H 

Little  wind,  drizzly,  foggy. 

2 

H 

3 

H 

2M 

Carrying  lighted  lantern  at  the  stern  as  a  signal 
to  the  SI.  Paul. 

4 

I 

2;-i 

S 

ENEME 

2ji 

Wind  as  before,  only  unsteady. 

6 

K 

2  K 

7 

M 

2  H 

8 

K 

9 

K 

ENE 

TO 

>^ 

2'A 

Very  light  wind  and  calm,  air  clear,  sky  overcast. 

II 

K 

2  'A 

12 

M 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'A  rhumb  E 

In 

24  hours 

F 

rom  Vaua 

e 

3 

it 
°.1 

~  a 

0 

i 

c  c 

■~  a 

E 

3 
£ 
Pi 

By  Dead 
Reckoning' 

SE/E 
o'og'E 

17 

s 

9..1' 

E 

14 

20' 

46°os' 

I74M 

SE/E 
2°o.';'S 

I4°34' 

13  E  by  N  according  to  Khitrov.  This  is  the  change  in  course  agreed  upon  on  May  4 
(see  p.  38)  in  case  Juan  de  Gama  Land  were  not  found  by  the  time  latitude  46°  had  been 
reached  on  the  SE  by  E  course  from  Vaua.  See  also  the  journal  of  the  Si.  Paul,  under 
June  13  (p.  286)  and  Chirikov's  report,  p.  313. 


COURSE  CHANGED  FOR  AMERICA 

(v)  June  14,  1 741.     After  Midday 


59 


u 
3 
0 

s 

0 
e 

•3 
C 

1 

3 
,0 

i 

I 

yi 

N 

ENE 

2'A 

Very  light  wind  and  unsteady,  air  thick,  northerly 
swell;  carrying   topsails  and   lower  sails. 

2 

'i 

2  Ji 

3 

H 

2  M 

4 

•A 

2M 

'2'A 

S 

;«■ 

6 

,'.4' 

2K 

7 

-^' 

NE 

ESE 

Light  air,  calm;  took  a  reef  in  topsails;  cloudy 
and  drizzly;  5/.  Paul  NW  by  W. 

8 

■i 

2K 

9 

^; 

2  Vj 

10 

NE   E 

SE/E 

2  '  J 

II 

H 

ENE 

SE 

2  M 

12 

^ 

E/S 

S/E 

zM 

Calm;  lowered  topsails  on  caps,  clewed  up  main- 
sail and  foresail,  allowed  for  the  swell  which  was 
running  from  N  to  S.     St.  Paul  VV  by  N,   %   mile. 

I 

;« 

ENE 

SE 

2  ',1 

2 

I 

E/N 

SE/S 

2. "5 

At  times  light  wind  and  fog;  set  topsails,  hoisted 
foresail  and  mainsail. 

3 

2M 

.    4 

E/N 

N/E 

I 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cold;  tacked  to  starboard, 
let  out  the  reefs  in  topsails,  hoisted  staysails  and 
jib. 

S 

2!'i 

NHE 

6 

3 

I 

Cloudy,  drizzly,  foggy. 

7 

2K 

I 

8 

2;^ 

I 

0 

3 

Topsail  wind,  cold,  gloomy. 

10 

2'A 

E 

N/E  ME 

n 

2li 

E/N 

N/E 

I 

Topgallantsail    wind,    cloudy,    foggy,    drizzly. 

12 

2i; 

I 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

1%  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

S 
3 

05 

"  c 

3:^ 

-  0 
"  c 

4J 

E 

3 

B 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

NNE 

2°46'N 

20 

N 
18.S' 

E 
6.S 

9' 

46 "23' 

172K 

SE/E 
0  °40'S 

I4°43' 

6o  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

(^  June  15,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

0 
c 

3't 

c 
■i 

2 

3 

J 

I 

ENE 

N 

H 

Topsail  wind,  cold,  cloudy,  air  thick;  carrying  upper 
and  lower  sails. 

2 

i'i 

3 

K 

Clewed  and  brailed  up  the  mainsail  and  set  the 
main-staysail  because  the  Si.  Paul  is  dropping 
behind. 

4 

SH 

K 

5 

4 

3H 

Ny.E 

6 

E 

N/EKE 

K 

Took  a  reef  in  the  topsails.  The  St.  Paul  is  by 
the  wind,  about  2  miles  away.  We  steered  for  her 
about  8  o'clock,  and  when  we  had  come  closer  we 
put  about  and  sailed  again  by  the  wind. 

7 

3 

All 

E/N 

N/E 

8 

NNWMW 

9 

3  H 

N/E-^E 

I  'A 

10 

3'/* 
3't 

I  ^^ 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

II 

I '4 

Reef-topsail  wind.  cold. 

12 

3 

I  "4 

.S-(.  Paul  N\V  by  W,  I  Vi  miles. 

I 

J 

3 

I  "4 

Easterly  swell. 

2 

I'i 

3 

2K 

I  "4 

4 

3% 

1'^ 

5 

2M 

I'i 

The  St.  Paul  is  by  the  wind  from  us,  about  4  or 
more  miles  distant. 

6 

2  34 

I  !i 

7 

6 

NNW^iW 

On  that  account  we  changed  our  course  so  that 
the  two  ships  might   not   become  separated. 

8 

6 

9 

5 

When  we  had  come  close  to  the  St.  Paul  we  put 
about  again  and  sailed  by  the  wind. 

10 

3% 

N/E 

xK 

II 

3 'A 

I K 

12 

3% 

I. '4 

Reef-topsail  wind,  chilly,  cloudy,  drizzly. 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

of 

Compass 

1%  rhumb  E 

S 

3 

s: 

ij 

c 

Q,3 

a  a 
QO 

.0 

3 

DO 

Q 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

N 
6°I2'E 

84 

N 
83' 

E 
9 

13' 

47°46' 

161K' 

SE/E 
S°09'E 

I4°S6' 

COURSE  CHANGED  FOR  AMERICA 

(J  June  i6,  1741.     After  Midday 


61 


3 
0 

0 

c 

■0 
c 

t 
3 
0 
0 

I 

2'A 

E/N 

N/E 

I>i 

Topsail  wind,  chilly,  drizzly,  cloudy;  carrying 
foresail,  trysail,  main-staysail,  topsails  with  one  reef 
in  them. 

2 

2  H 

i;^ 

3 

2 

iH 

4 

4;^ 

NNW 

Hauled  around  by  the  wind  in  order  to  get  in  touch 
with  the  St.  Paul,  and  as  we  drew  near  we  backed 
the  fore-topsail. 

5 

2 

ENE 

N 

i'A 

6 

I 

N>iE 

iV, 

Talked  with  Lieut.  Chikhachev  of  the  St.  Paul 
and  told  him  that  in  case  the  wind  should  shift 
to  easterly  and  he  should  desire  to  communicate 
with  the  Captain  Commander,  he  should  fly  the 
jack  from   the  gaflf   and   fire  a  gun. 

7 

3. '4 

iM 

8 

1% 

3*4 
2 

i>^ 

Made  a  port  tack  and  gave  the  agreed  signal  to 
the  St.  Paul  to  do  likewise. 

9 

SE 

i>4 

10 

SEHS 

I  Vi 

II 

2 

I  K 

12 

2  '4 

E    N 

SE34S 

I !  J 

Topsail  wind,  chill>'.  cloudy. 

I 

I M 

SE   S>4E 

I  '  J 

The  St.  Paul  is  near  our  ship. 

2 

i>4 

3 

E 

SSE;-iE 

Ij-i 

4 

ii^ 

I'A 

Set    the    mainsail,    hoisted    the   topmast-staysail. 

S 

3  '4 

N/E"^E 

i-'i 

' 

6 

K 

1^4 

Reef-topsail  wind,  chilly. 

7 

3M 

NNE'iE 

8 

2;-i 

iK 

9 

I  M 

ESE 

NE 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy,  cold. 

10 

ii-i 

Light  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds  and  fog. 

II 

iK 

E/S 

NE/N 

12 

I 

NNEME 

jLet  out  reefs  in  topsails,  carrying  upper  and  lower, 
sails. 

n  24  hours 

i                 From  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iX  rhumb  E 

3 

w  0 

ii 

a2 
c 

C  B 

■a 
S 

3 
s: 

B 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

NNE 

3°47'E 

18 

N 

16' 

E 
8.S 

12' 

48°02'"    161  !< 

SE/E 
6°si'E 

iS°os' 

62 


LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 
^  June  17,  1741.     After  Midday 


u 
0 
X 

0 
c 

T3 
C 

3 
0 
U 

I 

IK 

E 

NNEKE 

2 

Topgallantsail  wind,  chilly,  cloudy,  foggy,  and 
wet;  carrying  topsails,  foresail,  trysail,  and  staysails. 

2 

2J< 

ESE 

NE 

2 

3 

I  K 

2 

4 

2K 

NEHN 

2 

Clewed  and  brailed  up  the  foresail. 

S 

2 

NEJ4E 

2 

'Laid  the  main-topsail  on  the  topmast,  lowered  the 
staysails  and  jib  in  order  to  wait  for  the  St.  Paul. 

6 

I 

NE?-iE 

2 

7 

'A 

2 

8 

iM 
2 

2 

Took  a  reef  in  the  topsails,  set  foresail,  hoisted  fore- 
topmast-staysail. 

9 

SE/E 

2 

10 

NE/EHE 

Set  jib  and  main-topmast-staysail. 

n 

J 

2'i 

SE 

ENE 

iM 

Hoisted  mainsail. 

12 

Lowered  jib  and  staysails  because  the  wind  in- 
creased, clewed  up  mainsail  and  foresail,  lowered 
fore-topsail,  heaved  the  lead  without  finding  bottom 
in  90  fathoms,  filled  fore-topsail,  and  set  the  foresail. 
Si.  Paul  bears  NNW. 

I 

2K 

ENEME 

I  '-j 

2 

3M 

SE/E 

NE/E 

3 

2K 

SE 

I  'i 

4 

2K 

i!^ 

5 

2H 

i>i 

Set  the  mainsail. 

6 

3 

7 

2M 

SE/S 

ENEKE 

iK 

Topgallantsail  wind,  chilly,  cloudy,  damp. 

8 

2'A 

iH 

9 

iK 

E/N 

2 

10 

I  K 

Light  wind,  weather  as  before. 

II 

I 

SE 

ENE>.'E 

2 

Carrying  upper  and  lower  sails  except  the  spritsail. 
The  topsails  have  a  reef  in  them. 

12 

T-H 

SE/E 

NE/E 

Variation 
of 

Compass 
1%  rhumb  E 

I 

n  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

J3 

5 

.JO 

v.  c 

c 

a 

^'1 
qW 

rt 
J 

c  c 

j£.-= 

.0 

H 

3 

i 
3 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

NE/E 
I°27'N 

44 

N 
25-4' 

E 
36 

54' 

48°27' 

l6sK 

ESE 

I°2S'S 

IS°39< 

COURSE  CHANGED  FOR  AMERICA 

1^  June  i8,  1741.     After  Midday 


63 


3 
0 

0 

s 

3 
0 

I 

2  M 

ESE 

NE 

I -'4 

Topgallantsail  wind,  chilly,  damp,  cloudy. 

2 

2% 

l,'<t 

3 

3M 

iK 

4 

ZH 

NEKE 

i;i 

. 

S 

3H 

SE   E 

NE/E 

Topsail  wind,  chilly,  weather  as  before. 

6 

3K 

I>4 

7 

3K 

i;4 

8 

3>4 

I  "4 

9 

4 

I  "4 

Reef-topsail  wind,  cold. 

10 

3M 

i;. 

II 

2I4 

I, '4 

Lowered  staysails,  backed  fore-topsail,  sounded  in 
90  fathoms,  but  no  bottom;  filled  fore-topsail. 
Si.  Paul  NNWiW. 

12 

2li 

I ', 

I 

2!^ 

I>4 

2 

2K 

3 

3 

IK 

4 

3'i' 

NE/N 

Sailed  for  the  St.  Paul,  signaled  her  that  we  desired 
to  talk  with  them.  We  discussed  whether  we  should 
go  to  the  4Sth  l46thl  parallel  on  the  SE/E  course  from 
Vaua,  as  was  agreed  upon  at  the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter 
and  St.  Paul. 14  The  wind  being'contrary,  we  decided 
to  sail  between  N  and  E  until  the  wind  was  more 
favorable. 

5 

4 '4 

6 

4K 

ESE 

NE 

I 

7 

4K 

I 

8 

3M 

NE'iE 

9 

3 

I 

10 

3!^ 

I 

II 

4'^ 

I 

12 

4 

Reef-topsail  wind,  chilly,  cloudy,  foggy,  wet. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I  %  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours                                                  From  Vaua 

J2 

£ 
3 

5 

Jo 
.2  c 

ti 

a 

si 

Lat. 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

J3 

E 

3 

bii 

c 

9 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

NE/E 
o'ss'E 

77.4 

N 
42' 

E 
6S 

99' 

49°09'      n5'4 

ESE 

3°48'E 

17°38' 

>4  Khitrov's  journal:  "When  we  drew  nearer  we  inquired  whether  they  still  agreed 
to  go  on  the  northerly  course  since  we  had  not  yet  gone  in  that  direction  as  far  as  we  had 
planned.  They  were  of  the  opinion  that  this  course  should  be  followed  when  the  wind 
was  fair  and,  when  it  was  not,  we  should  keep  more  easterly."  See  also  the  journal  of  the 
St.  Paul  under  June  18  (p.  287). 


64  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

5  June  IQ,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

1 

•0 
c 

41 
E 

0 

a 

Si 

I 

5 

ESE 

NE 

I 

Topsail  wind,  drizzly  weather;  carrying  foresail, 
mainsail,   trysail,   staysails,   topsails,   and   one  reef. 

2 

5 

3 

5!^ 

4 

4 

S 

4 

Lowered  staysails. 

6 

3Ji 

SE/E 

NE/E 

IM 

7 

2K 

ESE 

NE 

iH 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

8 

2K 

iK 

9 

2?<t 

I  'i 

10 

2 

2 

2 

Furled  fore-topsail. 

II 

2 

Clewed  up  mainsail. 

12 

2  "4 

2 

Backed  main-topsail;  sounded  in  90  fathoms  and 
no  bottom;  filled  main-topsail  anci  hoisted  main- 
staysail. 

I 

2K 

2 

2 

3-A 

iK 

3 

3H 

I M 

4 

2'/, 

iM 

5 

2H 

3 

NEKN 

iM 

At  the  end  of  this  hour  we  set  the_fore-topsail  with 
two  reefs  in  it. 

6 

E/S 

NEMN 

iM 

7 

2K 

iM 

8 

3 

NE/N 

I  M 

9 

2>i 

iM 

10 

2?4 

S/E 

i>j 

At  the  beginning  of  this  hour  we  came  about  on 
the  port  tack;  15  no  signal  was  made  to  the  St. 
Paul  because  she  was  so  close  that  she  followed  us 
without  a  signal. 

II 

3 

iM 
IJ4 

12 

S'A 

16 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'/i  rhumb  E 

I 

n  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

JO 
M  c 

°1 

II 

d 

tog 

5^ 

B  e 

,0 
S 
3 

s 

2 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

NE 
i°26'E 

57 

N 
39' 

E 
41 

63' 

49°48' 

181 

E/S 
3°38'S 

l8''4l' 

I''  Called  "backboard"  tack  in  the  original. 

•6  According  to  Khitrov  an  observation  taken  at    noon   gave    latitude   S0°I3',   but 
owing  to  the  haze  on  the  horizon  if,  was  not  used. 


SEPARATION  OF  THE  TWO  VESSELS 


Tp  June  20,  I74I-     After  Midday 


3 
0 

1 

c 
c 

3 
0 

o 

I 

3 

E/S 

S/E 

2 

Strong  reef-topsail  wind,  wet;  furled  fore-topsail, 
lowered  main-staysail,  set  mainsail,  took  three  reefs 
in  main-topsail. 

2 

2j^4 

2 

3 

2^5 

2 

4 

2  H 

2 

S 

2 

iJndersail  wind,  gale. 

6 

2 

2M 

Furled  main-topsail,  carrying  foresail,  mainsail, 
trysail.  Because  the  St.  Paul  is  considerable  dis- 
tance from  us,  we  clewed  up  mainsail  and  hoisted 
main-staysail. 

7 

2 

2,' J 

8 

2 

E 

S/E>iE 

3 

9 

2% 

3 

lO 

I'A 

4>^ 

St.  Paul  NW.  2  miles;  lowered  main-staysail;  clear 
with  passing  clouds;  hauled  up  the  weather  clew 
of  the  foresail. 

II 

I  !--j 

A'A 
AA 

12 

I  !  4 

I 

se;s 

5'/' 

5/.  Paul  not  in  sight.  Clewed  up  foresail,  set  main- 
staysail,  hove  to;  gale  blowing. i' 

2 

5''i 

3 

iM 
5 

5y» 

4 

NW 

Got  under  way.  hoisted  foresail,  sailed  with  a  view 
of  finding  the  5/.  Paul  which  disappeared  at  lo 
o'clock;  failed  to  sight  her;  hove  to  under  trysail 
and  main-staysail. 

S 

iM 

SEMS 

S'A 

6 

5 'A 

7 

SA 

8 

SM 

9 

SM 

Strong  reef-undersail  wind. 

lo 

SA 

II 

SM 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

12 

SM 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iK  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

.a 

3 

ii 
°  = 

^ 

si 

n 

B  B 

XI 

B 

3 

0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

sw/s 

6°29'W 

34 

s 

26.4' 

w 

22.5 

35' 

49°22' 

nS'A 

ESE 

S''I2'E 

i8°o6' 

1'  Khitrov's  journal:  "At  the  beginning  [of  10  o'clock  at  night]  we  lowered  the  main- 
staysail,  made  fast  the  fore-sheet  [in  order  to  wait]  for  the  St.  Paul  because  she  is  from  us 
(?]  and  not  near.  At  11  o'clock  she  disappeared  from  sight.  We  carried  the  foresail  with 
the  fore-sheet  fast;  mizzen  sail  against  the  mast.  At  i  o'clock  at  the  change  of  the  watch 
I  learned  that  the  St.  Paul  was  out  of  sight  and  therefore  clewed  up  the  foresail  and  laid 
to  under  the  mizzen-  and  main  staysails.  At  3:30  we  hoisted  the  foresail  and  sailed  in 
the  direction  [?]  in  search  of  the  5/.  Paul,  because  she  had  been  seen  on  that  course;  at  4:30 
we  furled  the  foresail  and  laid  to  under  the  main-staysail  and  mizzensail.  Under- 
eail  wind." 

On  the  separation  of  the  two  vessels  sec  alsoWaxel's  report,  p.  271;  the  journal  of  the 
5<.  Paul  under  June  20  (p.  287);  and  Chirikov's  report,  p.  313. 


66 


LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 
{^  June  21,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 
X 

U 

■0 

c 

3 
0 

0 

J 

NE/E 

SE/E>iE 

SM 

Strong  reef-undersail  wind,  cloudy  and  sunshiny; 
carrying  mainsail  and  trysail. 

2 

■j- 



S>^ 

3 

S'A 

4 

5 'A 

S 

SK 

■    6 

5M 

Lowered  the  fore  and  main  yards  to  half-mast;    took 
a  reef  in  mainsail  in  order  to  be  safe. 

7 

SM 

8 

5'A 

9 

5'A 

10 

-  — 

SA 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

II 

SM 

12 

SM 

I 

5A 

2 

5A 

3 

Y- 

5  A 

4 

5'A 

Wind  going  down  a  little. 

5 

NNE 

SA 

6 

^ 

S'i 

Hoisted  fore  and  main  yards  to  their  places. 

7 

SA 

8 
9 

2K 

N/E 

NNE 

NW/W 
NW 

4 
4 

At  the  end  of  the  hour  we  set  foresail;  in  addition 
we  were  carrying  trysail  and  main-staysail;  sailed 
NW  in  search  of  the  'St.  Paul  but  could  not  find  her. 
When  we  hove  to  the  Si.  Paul  bore  NW  about  lA 
German  miles.  According  to  our  calculations  we 
are  now  SW  and  about  11  miles  from  the  place 
where  we  hove  to.  and  the  Si.  Paul  is  NW  from  us 
about  4  or  more  miles.  We  kept  this  course  until 
noon;  had  a  lookout  at  the  topmast  but  could  not 
see  a  sign  of  the  ship. 

10 

2  3^i 

4 

Reef-topsail  wind,  cloudy,  cold. 

II 

2M 

4 

12 

2>^ 

Sunshine;  furled  foresail  and  hove  to.  Took  observa- 
tion: zenith  distance  26°22',  declination  of  the 
sun  23°o8',  latitude  49°3o'. 

I 

n  24  h 

3urs 

F 

rom  Vaua 

of 

Compass 

I'/i  rhumb  E 

X! 

B 

3 

oi 

JO 

a 

0 
c 

c  c 

—  n  M 

;2SS 

g 

3 

00 

a 

2 

By 
Observation 

NW/W 
3°24'W 

16 

N 
8' 

W 
14 

21' 

49°30' 

174K 

ESE 
S°28'E 

I7°4S' 

RENEWED  SEARCH  FOR  DE  GAMA  LAND        67 

(^  June  22,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

K 

0 

c 

■c 
c 

Course 

I 

N/E 

E>iN 

s;-j 

Reef-undersail  wind,  cloudy  and  sunshiny;  hove 
to   under  trysail   and   main-staysail. 

2 

SVi 

3 

-J- 

S'A 

4 

5'A 

S 

sy 

6 

5% 

Undersail  wind,  swell  from  NE. 

7 

SH 

8 

SH 

9 

K 

E 

SK 

Reef-topsail  wind.  We  could  have  advanced  on 
our  course  had  we  not  been  obliged  to  look  for 
the  St.  Paul. 

10 

y* 

S'A 

II 

% 

N 

ENEyiE 

5  a 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  fog  and  rain. 

12 

y, 

S'A 

I 

JS 

S'A 

2 

j^ 

S'A 

Heavy  NE  swell. 

3 

__% 

S'A> 

4 

N/E 

S'A 

Looked  in  vain  from  the  topmast  for  the  St.  Paul. 
It  had  been  agreed  that  if  we  became  separated 
we  should  go  back  to  the  place  where  we  parted, 
which  place  is  NNE^^E.  9  German  miles  from  us; 
the  latitude  of  that  place  is  49°2S'.  and  longitude 
from  Vaua  i8°2o'.  We  cannot  reach  that  spot  be- 
cause of  the  wind.  Taking  this  into  consideration 
the  Captain  Commander,  Waxel,  Khitrov,  and 
Eselberg  decided  to  go  to  the  4Sth  parallel,  the  place 
agreed  upon,  on  the  course  SE  by  E  from  Vaua, 
since  the  wind  was  fair.  18 

S 

3 'A 

N  /W 

SSE 

Set  foresail  and  let  out  the  reefs,  hoisted  topsails, 
let  out  two  reefs  in  main-topsail;  topsails  on  the  caps, 
mainsail  clewed  up. 

6 

3H 

7 

4 

8 

4 

Reef-topsail  wind,  cold,  drizzly,  sunshiny. 

9 

3 

10 

2'/i 

NW/N 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cold,  weather  as  before. 

II 

3% 

Topsail  wind,  cold. 

12 

3% 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'/i  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

3 

Sl3 

c 

a 

.5  ° 

3  el 

3 

tie 
c 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

S/E 
i°2S'E 

40 

s 

38.7' 

E 

8.7 

13' 

48°SI' 

180K 

ESE 
2°5i'E 

I7°S8' 

's  Khitrov's  journal:  4  A.M.  "We  looked  in  vain  from  the  crosstrees  for  the  St. 
Paul.  According  to  the  understanding  we  were  to  go  to  the  place  where  she  was  last 
seen  by  us,  which  place  was  by  our  reckoning  NNEKE,  9  German  miles  distant,  but 
head  winds  prevented  our  doing  so.  On  that  account  the  Captain  Commander  decided 
to  go  to  latitude  46 °N,  on  the  rhumb  from  Vaua  SE  by  E.  We  cleared  the  foresail  and 
steered  SSE,  lowered  the  foreyards,  set  both  topsails  reefed." 


68  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

(^  June  23,  1 741.     After  Midday 


s 
0 

1 

•0 

s 

1 

2 
3 
0 

>. 

I 

3K 

N/W 

SSE 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds;  carrying 
foresail  and  mainsail;  NE  swell. 

2 

2K 

3 

2K 

4 

3J^ 

5 

3J4 

S 

At  this  hour  the  Captain  Commander,  Waxel,  and 
Khitrov  agreed  to  sail  the  course  indicated. 

6 

4M 

7 

3H 

— 

8 

2K 

NW 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cold;  hoisted  topsails. 

9 

3!< 

Set  mainsail  and  foresail. 

10 

2  "4 

II 

4 

Hoisted  staysail  and  jib. 

12 

3Ji 

Sounded  in  90  fathoms,  but  no  bottom;  let  out  reef 
in  main-topsail. 

I 

3K 

W/N 

2 

3M 

Drizzly,  wet,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

3 

4 

— - 

4 

4H 

Topsail  wind  and  cold;  all  sails  reefed;  carrying 
lighted  lanterns. 

5 

4K 

s/w 

Let  out  the  spritsail. 

6 

5 

7 

4K 

W 

Strong  topsail  wind,  cold;  let  out  the  last  reefs  in 
topsails. 

8 

S 

0 

4M 

Cloudy,  foggy,  wet. 

10 

4^ 

II 

3"^ 

Occasional  sunshine. 

12 

S 

Reef-topsail  wind,  cold,  weather  as  before. 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

1%  rhumb  E 

e 

c 

c 

n 

.J 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

J2 

s 

3 

in 
% 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

s/w 

4°I0'W 

91 

S 
87.S' 

W 

24-5 

36' 

47°24' 

i8sK 

ESE 
3°Si'S 

17°22' 

RENEWED  SEARCH  FOR  DE  GAMA  LAND        69 

^  June  24,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

0 
c 

■0 
c 

2 

3 
0 
u 

n 
1 

I 

SK 

w/s 

s/w 

'■■' 

Topsail  wind,  cold,  cloudy;  furled  spritsail;   carry- 
ing topsails,  foresail,  mainsail,  and  trysail;  westerly 
swell. 

2 

6 

M 

3 

5'A 

H 

4 

S 

S/WMW 

Ji 
M 

Reef-topsail  wind,  cold. 

5 

4K 

w 

Took  a  reef  in  topsails;  drizzly,  damp. 

6 

4>4 

7 

2'A 

SSWMW 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

8 

2H 

ssw 

■-i 

9 

4'A 

M 

10 

3H 
3'A 

Va 

Sounded  in  90  fathoms,  and  no  bottom. 

II 

M 

12 

4 

H 

Wind  moderating. 

I 

3K 

M 

2 

3;^ 

H 

Heaved  the  lead  twice,  and  no  bottom. 

3 

4 

M 

4 

4J< 

'A 

Hoisted  staysail. 

S 

A'A 

W/N 

y. 

6 

4K 

s/vvy,w 

Let  out  reef  in  mainsail. 

7 

4K 

8 

4K 

9 

4K 

10 

4 

w 

Topsail  wind,  cold,  drizzly. 

1 1 

4K 

W   N 

Let  out  the  last  reefs  in  the  topsails. 

12 

S 

S/EJ<iE 

Sky  overcast. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

\'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

F 

rom  Vaua 

XI 

E 
3 

SI 

a. 

JO 

2  = 

ii 

do 
G  c 

c 

i 

c  c 

J2 

E 

3 

i 
5 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

ssw 

3°04'W 

102 

s 
92' 

W 

44 

64' 

45°S2' 

190^ 

SE/E 
o°09'E 

i6°i8' 

70 


LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 
'2/  June  25,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

0 

c 

•0 
c 

3 

u 

1 

I 

4>4 

W/N 

SK'AK 

Topsail  wind,  cold,  cloudy,  sunshiny;  carrying  the 
fore  and  main-topsails. 

2 

4 

3 

2li 

Saw  many  ducks. 

4 

2K 

19 

S 

2K 
2 

SE/S 

Topgallantsail    wind,    chilly,    weather    as    before. 

6 

7 

2 

W 

8 

2J4 

9 

2M 

Little  wind. 

10 

I, -4 

Clewed  and  brailed  up  the  mainsail;  sounded  in 
90  fathoms,  and  no  bottom. 

II 

I 

12 

I 

I 

I. '4 

Warm,  drizzly,  wet. 

2 

I 

Now  and  then  the  moon  and  stars  are  seen. 

3 

M 

4 

I 

5 

I 

Hoisted  the  jib  and  topmast-staysail. 

6 

^4 

7 

iM 

8 

3 

wsw 

9 

calm 

Cloudy,  sunshiny;  lowered  jib  and  staysail,  clewed 
up  the  fore  and  mainsail,  lowered  topsails  on  the 
caps.     No  wind. 

10 

calm 

II 

calm 

12 

calm 

Weather  as  before,  atmosphere  thick. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

.a 

s 

3 
Si 

4J  0 

■"SI 

ft 

s 

3 

.c 

bo 
§ 

By   Dead 
Reckoning 

S/E 

2''2.-'E 

37 

s 

35.8' 

E 

8.7 

12' 

4S°l6' 

198  K 

SE/E 
i''33'S 

l6"'3o' 

■  9  In  Khitrov's  journal  it  is  stated  that  at  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  Bering  called 
Waxel,  Khitrov,  and  Eselberg  into  consultation  about  the  course  to  sail.  At  the  Harbor 
of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  it  had  been  agreed  to  sail  to  the  46th  parallel  in  search  of  land; 
but  this  parallel  had  already  been  passed,  and,  though  birds  were  seen,  indicating  that 
land  was  not  far  off,  land  itself  was  not  sighted.  Taking  all  these  points  into  considera- 
tion the  officers  decided  to  continue  on  the  southerly  course  until  noon  of  the  26th,  and 
accordingly  the  course  steered  was  SE  by  S. 


RESUMPTION  OF  EASTWARD  COURSE  71 

5  June  26,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 

0 

X 

0 

s 
b4 

•0 

3 
0 
U 

I 

i'A 
3 

SE/S 

ENE 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy,  sunshiny;  carrying  all 
sails  except  spritsail. 

2 

3 

2K 

4 

3 

s 

_3H_ 

4 

SE 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy. 

6 

7 

4 '-4 

SSE 

NE  ZEijE 

™ 

8 

4'-^ 

9 

S 

Cold  reef-topsail  wind. 

10 

SM 

Fog;  heaved  the  lead,  no  bottom  in  go  fathoms. 

1 1 

6K 

12 

6J^ 

Heaved  lead,  no  bottom. 

1 

S 

ne/e;^,e 

2 

4'^ 

Took  a  reef  in  the  fore-topsail;  sounded,  no  bottom. 

3 

4K 

Took  a  reef  in  topsails. 

4 

5!-i 

5 

S5i 

6 

6?4 

Strong  reef-topsail  wind. 

7 

8 

ENE 

Undersail  wind,  drizzly. 

8 

SH 

Clear  with  passing  clouds;  took  another  reef  in 
fore-topsail. 

9 

A'A 

S/E 

Reef-topsail  wind,  chilly. 

10 

5 

NE/E'iE 

II 

bV, 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

12 

8 

Storm,  sky  covered  with  clouds. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iK  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

.a 

e 

S  c 
c 

c  c 

—  BO) 

SI 

B 
3 

Si 

A 

c 
0 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

E/N 
0°I7'N 

122 

N 
24.4' 

E 
119.6 

171' 

4S°4o' 

217^4' 

SE/E 
3°52'E 

I9°2l' 

20  Khitrov's  journal:  "Although  on  the  2Sth  we  agreed  to  sail  south,  yet  we  found 
no  land,  which  proves  that  the  map  of  Delislc  de  la  Croyere.  which  locates  Juan  de  Gama 
Land  as  far  as  the  24th  |44th?)  degree  is  not  accurate.  Under  the  circumstances  we  con- 
cluded not  to  go  farther  south  but  instead  to  carry  out  the  original  plan  made  at  the 
Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  and  sail  between  north  and  east." 


72 


LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

T^  June  27,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

4-* 
0 

c 

•0 
e 

1 

3 
0 

U 

I 

4>-4 

SE/S 

ENE 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy,  chilly;  let  out  all  the  reefs 
in  topsails;  carrying  all  the  sails  except  the  spritsail. 

2 

4 

3 

sU 

4 

5'i 

Strong  reef-topsail  wind. 

5 

6 

111 

7 

NE/EME 

8 

6  ■  i 

Reef-undersail  wind;  took  a  reef  in  topsails. 

9 

SM 

SSE 

Hauled  down  jib  and  main-topmast-staysail. 

10 

SM 

Sounded  in  90  fathoms,  but  no  bottom. 

II 

s 

Cold  reef-topsail  wind. 

12 

s 

Heaved  the  lead. 

I 

5,'x, 

SE  S 

ENE 

2 

4K 
4 



Heaved  the  lead,  no  bottom. 

3 

Cold  topsail  wind;  set  jib  and  main-topmast-stay- 
sail; let  out  all  the  reefs  in  topsails. 

4 

4^4 

S 

4!i 

NE/EKE 

6 

4K 

Wind  as  before,  drizzly  weather. 

7 

4K 

8 

4H 

0 

4K 

Took  a  reef  in  topsails. 

10 

3X 

Topgallantsail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

II 

3 

12 

3J4 

Carrying  all  sails  except  the  spritsail. 

I 

n  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

i/<  rhumb  E 

J2 

E 

3 

5 

JO 
05  c 

0 

5^ 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

B 

3 

□ 
0 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

E/N 
o°i6'E 

113 

N 
21.6' 

E 
III. 3 

163' 

46°02' 

238K 

ESE 
3°o8'S 

22"04' 

EASTWARD  COURSE 

{v)  June  28,  1741.     After  Midday 


73 


u 
3 
0 

0 
c 

•0 
c 

1 

I 

3 
0 

B 

I 

4K 

SE/S 

NE/EME 

Topsail  wind,  chilly,  drizzly;  carrying  all  sails  except 
the  spritsail.     The  topsails  have  a  reef  in  them. 

2 

4 '4 

3 

S 

4 

4'A 

Thick  fog,  wet,  heavy  SW  swell. 

S 

4h 

6 

3 

Fog;  sounded  in  180  fathoms,  no  bottom. 

7 

4 

ENE 

8 

4 



Took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

9 

4'A 

Sounded  in  90  fathoms,  no  bottom. 

10 

3li 

II 

3 

Topgallantsail  wind,  chilly,  wet,  foggy. 

12 

21-.' 

I 

2K 

SSK 

.NE/E",  E 

2 

2 

Fog;  sounded  in  90  fathoms,  no  bottom. 

3 

2>i 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  fore-topsail  and  the  second  reef 
in  main-topsail. 

4 

4K 

5 

6 

4V4 

Let  out  a  third  reef  in  the  main-topsail. 

7 

4 
3« 

Set  the  spritsail. 

8 

9 

3K 

10 

2^ 

3^ 

Clear  with  passing  fogs. 

II 

12 

3'A 

Carrying  all  sails  except  the  main-staysail. 

In  24  hours                                  |               From  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iK  rhumb  E 

£ 
3 

iJ 

h 

^ 

rt 
^ 

c  c 

—  a  =» 

,0 

s 

3 

B 

B 
R 

V   De 
ickor 

ad 

ing 

I 

E/N 

°2l'N 

f 

7 

N 
19' 

E 

85   ' 

129.6' 

4(>°2\' 

2S3K 

ESE 
o'lv'S 

24°07' 

74 


LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER'^ 

^  June  29,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

0 

C 
1^ 

■0 
C 

3 
^0 

I 

Ay* 

ssw 

NE,E 

Topsail   wind,   heavy  fog.   chilly;  carrying  all  sails 
except  the  main-staysail. 21 

2 

4K 

3 

4 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

4 

4 

Lowered  mainsails  and  jib. 

S 

3K 

Topgallantsail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

6 

3M 
3K 

7 

NEKE 

8 

3'A 

Heavy  and  damp  fog. 

9 

3M 

Took  reef  in  topsails. 

10 

3Ji 

II 

3J4 

Sounded  in  90  fathoms,  no  bottom. 

12 

3"i 

I 

3'j 

NE    E 

2 

3'< 

Sounded  again,  no  bottom. 

3 

4 

4x4 

43-4 



4 

Topsail  wind,  chilly,  foggy,  damp. 

S 

NE'.E 

6 

4M 

Clewed  up  the  mainsail- 

7 

4M 

Occasional  sunshine. 

8 

4 

9 

4  J  4' 

Furled  spritsail. 

10 

4J-i 

Reef-topsail  wind,  chilly,  weather  as  before. 

II 

4« 

NE/E 

12 

4 '4 

Carrying  topsails;  clewed  up  foresail  and  mainsail. 

In 

24  hours 

From  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iM  rhumb  E 

C 
3 

x; 

J.  0 
01  c 

46°S7' 

.£  °  to 

s 

3 

M 
C 

0 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

ENE 
0°O3'E 

945 

N 
36' 

E 
87.4 

127' 

268  ■< 

ESE 
3°C4'E 

26°I4' 

21  Khitrov's  journal:  "Because  we  had  gone  too  far  southward  we  agreed  with 
the  Captain  Commander  to  sail  true  ENE  in  order  to  strike  the  E  by  N  course,  as 
planned." 


EASTWARD  COURSE 
^  June  30,  1741.     After  Midday 


75 


3 
0 

X 

•3 

1 

3 

I 

ssw 

NE/E 

Topsail    wind,    chilly,    thick    fog;    occasionally    the 
sun  breaks  through;  carrying  reefed  topsails;  fore- 
sail and  mainsail  are  clewed  up. 

2 

4M 

3 

4M 

— 

4 

4 

5 

4 

6 

4V^ 

7 

4;  J 

NEME 

Sky  overcast,  wind  as  before. 

8 

4H 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

9 

5 

Fog,  wet. 

10 

5 'A 

Reef-topsail    wind,    cold;     sounded    in    90    fathoms, 
no  bottom. 

II 

S'l 

12 

S"4 

Sounded  again  with  the  same  result. 

I 

4'i 

sw 

Topsail  wind,  chilly,  wet.  fog. 

2 

4!i 

Heaved  the  lead  a  third  time,  no  bottom. 

3 

4H 

4 

4^i 

Let  out  all  the  reefs  in  the  topsails. 

S 

4 

NE/E 

6 

Mi 

Wet,  fog. 

7 

4'A 

8 

3K 

9 

3 

Topgallantsail  wind,  chilly,  weather  as  before. 

10 

3 

II 

3 

NEME 

Heavy  fog.  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

12 

3 !  4 

Carrying    topsails,    foresail,    mainsail    clewed    up. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iK  rhumb  E 


By    Dead 
Reckoning 


In  24  hour 


From  Vaua 


KNE 

0°02'N 


N 
39  3' 


E 
94  2 


138' 


.2  52 

DO 


47°36'      284K 


E/S 
4'=58'S 


28°32' 


76  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  July  I,  1 741.     After  Midday 


0 

X 

4-1 
0 

c 

•0 
c 

2 
0 

I 

3H 

sw/w 

NE"4E 

Topgallantsail  wind,  wet,  fog,  occasional  sunshine; 
carrying  topsails,  foresail;   mainsail  is  clewed  up. 

2 

3-4 

3 

3>i 

It  was  decided  by  the  officers  that  the  crew  should 
have  for  dinner  watery  mush  and  in  the  evening  thick 
mush,  and  because  of  the  scarcity  of  water  each  man 
was  to  have  a  limited  amount  of  it.  Ensign  Lagunov 
was  commanded  to  see  that  the  orders  were  obeyed. 

4 

3 

S 

2K 

6 

2,'-i 

7 

I'A 

NE/E 

8 

2H 

0 

4 

Rain. 

10 

4J4 

Set  trysail. 

II 

4K 

No  bottom  at  90  fathoms. 

12 

4 

I 

4 
4 

4K 
4M 

NEJ-iE 

Topsail  wind,  fog,  heavy  rain,  high  sea. 

2 

3 

Heaved  lead,  no  bottom. 

4 

Hoisted  mainsail. 

S 

SK 

NE/E 

6 

S 

Reef-topsail  wind. 

7 

4 
3^i 

8 

Clewed  up  trysail. 

9 

4K 

Did  the  same  to  mainsail. 

10 

4 '4 

NEME 

Wind  and  weather  as  before,  light  rain. 

II 

4'i 

Sighted  a  piece  of  driftwood  about  two  fathoms  in 
length,  and  this  leads  us  to  believe  that  the  shore  is 
near. 

12 

3'A 

Sounded  with  two  lead  lines  in  180  fathoms  but 
did  not  touch  bottom. 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

Variation 
of 

Compass 
lyi  rhumb  E 

,0 
B 

s 
x; 

♦;  0 
H 

5^ 

n  ° 

c  c 
—  (J  00 

5^^ 

J3 

3 

x; 

tie 

§ 

iJ 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

ENE 

o'oq'N 

90.3 

N 
34-8' 

E 
83.4 

12s' 

48"'ll' 

299K 

E/S 

2°24'S 

30°37' 

EASTWARD  COURSE 

If  July  2,  1 7 41.     After  Midday 


77 


1 

X 

0 

c 

■0 
c 

1 

3 
0 

U 

1 

I 

3 

S 

NE/E 

Topgallantsail  wind,  rain;  carrying  topsails,  foresail, 

and  trysail. 

2 

3 

3 

2\i 

4 

3 

S 

4 

Set  jib  and  topmast-staysail,  hoisted  mainsail. 

6 

3M 
2  44 

7 

NEWE 

Topgallantsail   wind,  foggy,   damp. 

8 

2 

Took  reef  in  topsails,  lowered  staysails  and  jib. 

9 

I 

10 

IK 

Sounded  in  90  fathoms,  no  bottom. 

II 

I 

12 

I  'A 

Sounded  again,  no  bottom. 

I 

ij 

NE   E 

Little  wind,  SW  swell,  fog,  and  wet. 

2 

K 

3 

>^ 

Clewed  and  brailed  up  the  foresail;  did  the  same  to 
mainsail;    let  out  180  fathoms  of  line,  no  bottom. 

4 

K 

5 

calm 

Calm;  lowered  topsails  on  the  caps. 

6 

yi 

N 

ENE 

I 

Light  wind;  hoisted  topsails  and  let  out  the  reefs  in 
them,  set  jib  and  topmast-staysails. 

7 

I  'i 

8 

2^4 

9 

4 

N/E 

E/N 

Topsail  wind,  drizzly. 

10 

3 

Took  two  reefs  in  fore-topsail  and  one  in  main-topsail. 

II 

4 

Lowered  jib,  took  another  reef  in  main-topsail. 

12 

3 

Wind  and  weather  as  before. 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I  'A  rhumb  E 

.0 
E 

3 

c 

1^  M 

0,2 

4^ 

C  B 

5o^ 

s 

3 

i 

^ 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

E/N 
I''36'E 

48 

N 
7-8' 

E 
46.9 

70' 

48°19' 

309  J4 

E/S 
I°35'S 

3l''47' 

78  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

5  July  3,  1 741.     After  Midday 


3 

0 

X 

0 

c 

c 

5 

3 
0 

U 

I 

3'A 

N/E 

ENE-4E 

I  K 

Reef-topsail  wind,  cloudy. 

2 

3% 

I'A 

Took  third  reef  in  main-topsail,  furled  fore-topsail 
and  main-topmast-staysail. 

3 

3H 

I'A 

4 

3 

3H 

I'A 

S 

N 

ENE 

I'A 

Wind  increased. 

6 

3H 

I'A 

7 

2'/i 

N/W 

NE/EME 

I '4 

Heavy  sea  from  N. 

8 

jj4 

N/W 

2 

9 

2M 

Furled  main-topsail. 

lO 

ly* 

2'A 

II 

I '4 

i'A 

12 

I  'i 

2 

I 

—^ 

NE/E 

2 

Hoisted  main-topsail  and  put  three  reefs  in  it. 
hoisted  main-topmast-staysail. 

2 

2 

3 

IK 

2 

Hoisted  fore-topsail  and  let  out  a  reef  in  it.  let  out 
two  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

4 

2  'A 

I'A 

S 

I'A 

6 

iH 

I'A 

Topgallantsail  wind,  sky  overcast. 

7 

2 

I'A 

8 

2'/i 

NNW 

NEKE 

I'A 

Let  out  a  reef  in  the  topsails. 

9 

2% 

NE 

I  'A 

Northerly  swell. 

10 

IH 

I  'i 

It 

2M 

NW 

NNEVJE 

I  'A 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy. 

12 

2M 

NW/N 

NE/N 

I'A 

In 

24  hours 

From  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'A  rhumb  E 

J3 
S 
3 

JO 

c 

si 

n 

c  c 

5o'^ 

E 

3 

B 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

E/S 
I°37'S 

S2.3 

S 

1-4' 

E 

52 

76' 

48°l8' 

32lK 

E/S 
I°l6'S 

33°03' 

EASTWARD  COURSE 

F^  July  4,  1 74 1.     After  Midday 


79 


u 
3 
0 

X 

0 

c 

T3 
C 

5 

t 

3 
0 

>, 

I 

2K 

NW/N 

NE 

I 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy;  carrying  all  sails  except 
spritsail  and  main-staysail. 

2 

3 

I 

3 

2H 

I 

Northerly  swell. 

4 

2>i 

I 

S 

2 

I 

6 

2J< 

I 

7 

2j< 

NEMN 

I 

Took  reef  in  the  topsails. 

8 

IK 

NE 

I 

9 

iM 

I 

Occasional  rain. 

lO 

iK 

I 

II 

iK 

I 

Heavy  fog. 

12 

2^i 

I 

I 

N  E  S  E 

Light  wind,  cloudy. 

2 

I  H 

I  "j 

3 

I'A 

I  'A 

4 

I'A 

I  'A 

S 

I'A 

6 

I 

E/N 

2 

Wind  and  weather  as  before,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

7 

'A 

2 

8 

•A 

2 

9 

2 

SE 

3 

Clewed  up  lower  sails,  hauled  down  staysails  and 
topsails. 

lo 

2 

3 

Northerly  swell. 

1 1 

2 

3 

12 

2 

3 

Cloudy  and  sunshiny.  Took  observation:  zenith 
distance  26°26',  declination  of  the  sun  21  °38'  N, 
latitude  48  "04',  ariation  of  the  compass  iM  rhumb, 
because  the  difference  in  latitude  by  dead  reckon- 
ing and  observation  is  2i'N.22 

In  24  hours                               |               From  Vaua 

of 

Compass 

iM  rhumb  E 

.a 
£ 
3 

5 

Jo 
'i.  = 

e 

a 

c 

a 

c  c 

■"SI 

SI 

5 

c 

0 

By  Observation 
(Yushin) 

ESE 
2''3o'S 

34 

s 

14' 

E 
30 

4S' 

48°04' 

330K 

E/S 

I°2S'S 

33°48' 

By  Observation 
(Khitrov) 

SE/E 
I'lo'S 

36 

s 
21' 

E 
30 

45' 

47°S4' 

322K 

E/S 
I°49'S 

33°57' 

25  As  indicated  in  the  24-hour  summary,  Khitrov's  journal  gives  latitude  47°  54*.    This 
value  has  been  used  on  the  chart  (HI.  I). 


8o  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

(v)  July  5,  1 7 41.     After  Midday 


3 

0 

a: 

0 
E 

•0 

E 

0 

0 

M 

1 

I 

'A 

•0 

B 

0 

Z 

SE 

3 

Cloudy  and  sunshiny,  northerly  swell. 

2 

3 

Leeway  until  8  o'clock  was  at  the  rate  of  M  knot  per 
hour. 

3 

3 

4 

3 
3 

s 

6 

3 

7 

3 

8 

SE/E 

NE 

Light  wind,  sky  overcast. 

9 

% 

Hoisted  topsails,  staysails,  and  jib. 

10 

I 

Hoisted  foresail  and  trysail. 

II 

iK 

12 

2 

NE/E 

Topeallantsail  wind;    set  mainsail 

I 

2K 

NEKE 

2 

2>4 

3 

iK 

SSE 

Light  wind;    lowered  staysails  and  jib. 

4 

I 

S 

iM 

SE/E 

Hoisted  staysails  and  jib. 

6 

2 

7 

iK 

8 

iK 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

9 

iM 

Cloudy. 

10 

2 

II 

iK 

Carrying  all  sails  except  spritsail.  ^3 

12 

2K 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I  yi  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

5 

3 

Si 

4-> 
J  0 
m  B 

c 

i 

Dist.  in 

German 

Miles 

J2 

3 

B 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

ENE 
3'08'E 

27 

N 
9' 

E 

25.6 

38' 

48°I3' 

:   334>< 

E,S 
o'Si'S 

34°26' 

'3  Khitrov's  journal:    "Filled  39  barrels  with  salt  water  for  ballast.' 


EASTWARD  COURSE 

^  July  6,  1741.     After  Midday 


a 
0 
X 

0 

C 

•0 

B 

3 
0 
U 

a 
t 

1 

3 

SE/S 

ne;jE 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy;  carrying  all  sails  except 
spritsail. 

2 

3 'A 

3 

3M 

4 

3.'^ 

Let  out  the  spritsail. 

S 

3'i 

Unbent  the  fore-topsail  and  bent  on  the  one  we  had 
before  and  took  three  reefs  in  it. 

6 

3'i 

7 

3 '4 

SE/E 

8 

3 

Furled  the  spritsail. 

9 

2M 

10 

2K 

II 

2!i 

12 

2  ,'4 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy. 

I 

2;j 

2 

2M 

3 

4 

Topsail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

4 

2K 

S 

2K 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

6 

2M 

7 

s 

Topsail  wind,  chilly,  cloudy. 

8 

3M 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

9 

3 

10 

3% 

ESE 

NE 

'A 

Topgallantsail  wind,  weather  as  before;  carrying 
all  sails  except  spritsail  and  main-staysail. 

II 

3 

% 

12 

2M 

'A 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

W,  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

SI 

£ 

3 
.s 

'ii 

s  c 

—  CD  " 

5^^ 

g 

3 

oi 

J 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

ENE 
i-ij'N 

72 

N 
29' 

E 
66 

99' 

48°42' 

347  J< 

E/S 
o°48'E 

36=05' 

82  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

(^   July  7,  1 7 41.      After  Midday 


3 

0 

0 

c 

•c 
c 

3 
0 

I 

2K 

ESE 

NE 

'A 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy;  carrying  all  sails 
except  spritsail  and  main-staysail. 

2 

3>4 

NEMN 

,i 

3 

3 

4 

4 

2K 

A 

S 

3 

A 

Topsail  wind  at  times. 

6 

3 

4 

Weather  as  before. 

7 

2K 

4 

8 

3 

A 

9 

2Vt 

E/S 

NE/N 

A 

Took  reef  in  the  topsails. 

10 

3 

■i 

Wind  freshening;  sounded  in  go  fathoms,  no  bottom. 

11 

2K 

J- 

12 

3^ 

^■2 

I 

3'A 

ESE 

NEi^N 

A 

2 

3 

/, 

Let  out  reefs  in  topsail. 

3 

2K 

E/S 

NE/N 

1 

4 

2 

E 

NNE 

I 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

5 

I 

I 

Light  wind. 

6 

2% 

E/S 

NE/N 

I 

7 

3 

E 

NNE 

I 

Topsail  wind. 

8 

3>4 

I 

Let  out  4  inches  in  the  mainstay  because  we  notice 
that  when  it  was  tight  the  vessel  did  not  have  a  free 
movement. 

9 

3 

I 

10 

3 

I  34 

II 

3% 

I  '4 

Took  reef  in  topsails. 

12 

3% 

Ij< 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy  and  rainy. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

F 

rom  V'aua 

C 

65 

4J  0 

c 

4 

c 

2^ 

c  c 

S 

3 

OS 

s 

0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

NE 
3''48'N 

67 

N 
SO. 7' 

E 

44.4 

68' 

49°33' 

353 

E/S 
3°04'E 

37°I3' 

MORE  NORTHERLY  COURSE 

^  July  8,  1 74 1.     After  Midday 


83 


0 

0 

c 

•0 

c 

2 

3 
0 

a 
t 

I 

4H 

E 

NNE 

I 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy  and  foggy,  carrying  reefed  top- 
sails, staysails,  jib,  mainsail,  and  trysail. 

2 

4 '4 

3 

4 

4 

4M 

Reef-topsail  wind. 

S 

4 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

6 

2'.< 

I  "j 

Lowered  jib. 

7 

3 

I  ■  J 

8 

3 

iM 

9 

2M 

2M 

Took  three  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

10 

2>< 

2K 

Furled  main-topsail. 

1 1 

2K 

2;-2 

12 

2'-< 

2M 

Topsail  wind. 

I 

2 

3 

Foggy  and  wet. 

2 

1  ^4 

3 

3 

2% 

E/N 

N,E 

I  'A 

Hoisted  fore-topsail  with  two  reefs  in  it,  let  out  three 
reefs  in  main-topsail. 

4 

3  ,'4 

I'A 

S 

2H 

I'A 

Sighted  a  good-sized  piece  of  driftwood. 

6 

2K 

I'A 

7 

3 

2K 

iM 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

8 

iM 

9 

3 

ENE 

N 

iJ^ 

10 

2  )4 

iK 

Sounded  in  180  fathoms,  no  bottom. 

II 

2^4 

iK 

12 

2  44 

NME 

I '-4 

Topsail  wind,  drizzly,  SE  swell. 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

of 

Compass 

1%  rhumb  E 

S 

3 

«  0 
o;  a 

c 

c 

0^ 

Dist.  in 

German 

Miles 

£1 

s 

3 

3 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

N/E 
S°I2'E 

68.8 

N 
66' 

E 
19.4 

30.4' 

SO°39' 

3.?  1 3^ 

E 
6''3i'S 

37°43 

84  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

1J[  July  9,  1 7 41.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

0 

c 

•a 
c 

3 

0 

u 

I 

2M 

ENE 

NMW 

2 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy,  wet;  carrying  reef-topsails  and 
staysails,  foresail,  mainsail,  and  trysail. 

2 

2J< 

2 

3 

2'A 

2 

4 

iH 

NE/E 

N/W 

2 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

S 

2 

2 

Weather  as  before. 

6 

2 

N/W"'iW 

2 

7 

I 

NE 

NNW 

2 

Little  wind. 

8 

% 

•0 
c 

'^ 
0 
2 

2 

Sounded  in  180  fathoms,  no  bottom. 

9 

Lowered  staysails,  clewed  up  mainsail  and  trysaiL 

10 

From  9  to  12  o'clock  we  drifted  about  K  of  a  knot 

to  NNW. 

II 

12 

I 

ssw 

NE 

Light  wind,  drizzly. 

I 

Cloudy,  stars  out.  topgallantsail  wind. 

2 

l!< 

sw 

Fog,  wet. 

^ 

IK 

4 

2-4 

•i 

I 

Let  out  three  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

6 

Th 

7 

I'A 

Heavy  fog,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

8 

2 

0 

2!4 

sw/s 

Topsail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

10 

.^ 

II 

2% 
2y, 

12 

Clear  with  passing  clouds,  sun  shining.  Took  an 
observation:  zenith  distance  30°34',  declination 
of  sun  20°46',  latitude  si°2o'.  24 

In  24 

lours 

From  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

\y,  rhumb  E 

S 

3 

JO 

m  a 

4 

c  c 

—  «  w 

XI 

E 

3 

c 
0 

By 

Observation 

NNE 

2°02'N 

44 

N 
41' 

E 
153 

24.3' 

SI°20' 

3SIK 

E 
3°5o'S 

38°07' 

i*  Khitrov's  journal  gives  latitude  5i°27', 


MORE  NORTHERLY  COURSE 

5  July  10,  1741.     After  Midday 


85 


3 
_0 

0 

c 

•0 
c 

3 
0 

0 

>> 

I 

2yi 

s/w 

NE 

Topsail   wind,   cloudy,   sunshiny,   carrying  all  sails 
except  spritsail  and  trysail. 

2 

3 

3 

2'.4 

At  times  thick  fog. 

4 

2>i 

i 

Thick,  wet  fog. 

S 

2 

6 

I  '1 

7 

3 

Cloudy,  fog  Ufting. 

8 

3 

9 

3^4 

Topsail  wind. 

10 

3^ 

Stars  out. 

11 

3  -'4 

Heaved  lead,  no  bottom  at  90  fathoms. 

12 

2  !-j 

Lowered  staysails. 

I 

2K 

I  '4 

sw 

2 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

3 

I 

4 

y. 

5 

I 

SE/S 

6 

I  '1 

7 

2  'i 

Let  out  three  reefs  in  the  fore-topsail. 

8 

2% 

Hoisted  staysail  and  jib. 

9 

2li 

10 

2'A 

SE/E 

Cloudy  and  sunshiny. 

II 

2H 

ESE 

12 

3 '4 

Thick,  wet  fog. 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

of 

Compass 

lyi  rhumb  E 

.0 

5 

.;  0 

to  C 

c 

c 

•«-> 

^ 

00 

E 

3 

c 

By    Dead 
Reckonmg 

NE/EKE 

5TA 

N 
27' 

E 
SO.S 

81' 

SI°47' 

362  K 

E 
2''39'S 

39°28' 

86  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

Tl  July  II,  1 74 1.     After  Midday 


3 
O 

0 

c 

■o 
c 

3 
0 

u 

I 

4 

SE/E 

NE 

Reef-topsail  wind,  cloudy,  sunshiny. 

2 

5 

4 

3 

Heavy  fog  on  horizon. 

4 

3 

S 

2K 

6 

3>4 

Sighted  a  dead  whale  afloat,  and  on  it  were  many 
gulls. 

7 

4 

8 

4K 

Lowered  main-staysail. 

9 

3K 

lO 

3M 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

II 

4 

12 

4J4 

1 

Topsail  wind. 

I 

sH 

1 

Carrying  all  sails  except  mainsail  and  spritsail. 

2 

4 

1 

Hoisted  main-staysail. 

3 

4K 

\ 

Reef-topsail  wind,  drizzly,  heavy  fog,  rain. 

4 

4H' 

Lowered  main-staysail  and  jib,  took  two  reefs  in  top- 
sails;  heaved  lead,  no  bottom. 

S 

3M 

6 

3  'i 

SSE 

1 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

7 

3K 

S 

Let  out  three  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

8 

3H 

Topsail  wind,  raw,  damp. 

9 

4 

s/w 

lo 

4 

II 

4 

Carrying  topsails,  foresail,  and  mainsail. 

12 

3^ 

sw/s 

Clewed  up  mainsail,  foresail,  and  trysail.  25 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I 'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From 

Vaua 

S 
3 

^  0 
•/I  c 

c 

5-j 

0 
alii 

c 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

J2 

e 

3 

g 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

NE/E 
5°37'E 

9S 

N 
44-8' 

E 

83-8 

137' 

S2°32' 

378 

o 

E 

°49'S 

4I°4S' 

25  Khitrov's  journal  gives  latitude  by  observation  S2''4o'. 


MORE  NORTHERLY  COURSE 

^  July  12,  1741.     After  Midday 


87 


3 

0 

0 
C 

■0 
c 

3 

0 

0 

t 

I 

4^J 

svv 

NE 

Reef-topsail  wind,  cloudy. 

2 

4H 

3 

4M 

4 

s 

Passed  much  driftwood. 

S 

s 

6 

5 

Wind  freshening;    took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

7 

4*4 

8 

4!i 

9 

4^ 
3K 

Took  three  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

10 

II 

3M 

12 

3M 

sw/s 

Clewed  up  foresail. 

I 

I 

Furled  foresail. 

2 

2 

SEKE 

6 

3 

5 

NE 

At  3:30  we  clewed  up  trysail. 

4 

Set  main  and  fore-topsails  with  reefs  in  them. 

5 

4M 

Rain,  reef-topsail  wind,  chilly. 

6 

5 

7 

4K 

Let  out  a  reef  in  main-topsail. 

8 

5 

Let  out  a  reef  in  foresail. 

9 

S 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

10 

5 'A 

Undersail  wind. 

II 

6 

Set  fore-topsail  reefed. 

12 

3 

Reef-topsail  wind,  cloudy,  and  sunshiny. 

In  24 

lours 

From  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Ccnpass 

I'/i  rhumb  E 

J2 

C 
3 

s: 
0! 

J,  0 

^1 

a  e 

XI 

B 

3 
x; 

M 

a 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

NE/E 
S°56'E 

104 

N 
48.7' 

E 
92.3 

154' 

S3°2l' 

39AH 

E 
0"  -8'N 

44°  1 3' 

LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

(ff   July  I  J,  1741.     After  Midday 


s 

0 

0 
C 

•0 
d 

3 
0 
u 

t 

I 

5 

W/S 

NE 

Strong  undersail  wind,  cloudy,  sunshiny;   took  second 
and  third  reef  in  main-topsail. 

2 

5 

3 

5 

w 

4 

S 

Sighted  a  piece  of  driftwood  three  fathoms  long. 

s 

4K 
4K 

WNW 

6 

Heavy  sea  running. 

7 

4M 

8 

4K 



Sunshine.      Took    the    amplitude    of    setting    sun 
W24°N;     latitude     S3°39';     true    bearing     3S°38', 
variation   of   compass    ii°38'E,   or   one   rhumb. 

9 

4M 

W 

10 

4M 

Sky  clear,  moon  and  stars  shining. 

II 

3K 

Furled  main-topsail. 

12 

3 

Furled  fore.sail  because  of  darkness. 

I 

W/S 

N/W>iW 

6'-i 

Hove  to.  let  out  trysail. 

2 

K 

Sounded,  no  bottom. 

3 

3 

Got  under  way,  set  foresail  and  main-topsail  and  let 
out  two  reefs,  clewed  up  trysail. 

4 

4>i 

Set  mainsail  and  fore-topsail. 

S 

4M 

6 

4>i 

Undersail  wind,  wet. 

7 

4M 

Let  out  reef  in  mainsail,  clewed  it  up  and  brailed  it. 

8 

4M 

Sunshine. 

9 

5 

N/W 

Reef-undersail  wind. 

10 

6 

Clear  with  passing  clouds;    set  mainsail. 

II 

4M 

12 

4K 

Wind  going  down. 

In  24  hours 

From  V^aua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I    rhumb   E 

E 

3 

J  0 

c 

0^ 

u 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

Xi 

E 

3 
.c 

it 

§ 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

NE/E 

IOlJ< 

N 

56' 

E 

84 

142' 

S4°I7' 

'      41S 

E 

2''S2'N 

46°4I' 

MORE  NORTHERLY  COURSE 

(^  July  14,  1741.     After  Midday 


89 


u 
3 
0 
X 

0 

c 

•0 
e 

3 
0 

>. 
n 

I 

4'A 

wsw 

NE 

Undersail  wind,  drizzly,  sunshiny;  carrying  topsails 
reefed,  foresail,  and  mainsail. 

2 

A% 

3 

4H 

4 

4'A 

The  Captain  Commander,  LieutenantWaxel.  Master 
Khitrov,  and  Na\igator  Eselberg  had  a  consultation 
and  decided  to  steer  N  by  E  to  the  land  sighted. 26 

S 

S'A 

N/E 

6 

s 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

7 

s'4 

Reef-undersail  wind. 

8 

SJi 

9 

S'^ 

10 

SK 

II 

SJ< 

12 

S« 

I 

4H 

w 

Furled  topsails,  lowered  staysails  on  the  yards 
because  it  was  dangerous  to  navigate  at  night  and  in 
the  fog. 

2 

4 

3 

5 'A 

Hoisted  topsails  with  three  reefs  in  each,  hoisted 
staysails  and  trysail. 

4 

5« 

5 

6"i 

w  s 

6 

6 

Let  out  a  reef  in  main-topsail,  clewed  up  trysail. 

7 

Sun  shining;  let  out  a  reef  in  fore-topsail,  hoisted  jib, 
let  out  two  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

8 

s 

0 

4M 

10 

4M 

II 

4''i 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  fore-topsail. 

12 

4>i 

Reef-topsail  wind,  clear.  Took  observation:  zenith 
distance  36°ii'.  declination  i9°so'.  latitude  s6°oi'; 
but  no  correction  was  made  [in  latitude  by  dead 
reckoning).    Variation  of  the  compass  i'4  rhumb  E. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I    rhumb    E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

B 

3 

-;  0 
c 

c 

c  c 

—  n  M 

55^ 

J2 
S 

3 

60 

C 
0 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

NNE 
4°So'E 

119 

N 
106' 

E 
S4.8 

96' 

56*03' 

423K 

E 
6°2o'N 

48''I7' 

M  Khitrov  does  not  mention  sighting  land  on  this  day.  Steller  says  that  he  saw 
land  on  the  isth,  but  the  officers  paid  no  attention  to  him.  It  is  possible  that  without 
Steller's  being  told  about  it  orders  were  given  to  steer  in  the  direction  he  indicated. 


§6  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

July  14,  1741. 

Decision  to  Change  Course  2' 

Captain  Commander  Bering,  Lieutenant  Waxel,  Fleet  Master  Khitrov,  and 
Navigator  Andreyan  Eselberg  had  a  meeting  to  discuss  the  decision  reached  on  May 
4,  1741,  in  the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul.  At  that  time  and  place  it  had  been 
agreed  after  leaving  the  said  harbor  to  sail  SE  by  E,  true,  to  latitude  46°  N,  unless 
land  was  found  before;  but  if  no  land  was  sighted  to  sail  from  that  parallel  E  by  N 
steadily  until  land  was  discovered.  If  land  should  be  found  either  on  a  SE  by  E  or 
E  by  N  course  we  were  to  coast  alongside  of  it  for  as  long  a  time  as  possible  so  that 
we  might  return  to  the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  by  the  end  of  September. 
After  we  left  the  said  harbor  we  kept  the  SE  by  E  course  not  only  to  46°  but  even 
to  45°  without  seeing  any  land.  We  then  sailed  E  by  N  close  to  9°  of  latitude 
and  35°  of  longitude,  but  on  this  course  we  equally  failed  to  discover  land. 
On  that  account  we  concluded  to  change  our  course  one  point  and  keep  closer  to  N, 
that  is  to  go  ENE,  which  course  we  are  now  holding  as  far  as  the  wind  permits.  By 
dead  reckoning, we  find  ourselves  at  present  in  latitude  54°  34' N.  and  longitude  from 
Vaua  near  48°,  a  distance  of  more  than  400  German  miles.  We  had  on  board  102 
barrels  of  water  of  different  sizes,  and  by  today,  July  14,  half  of  it  has  been  used  up 
by  the  crew.  What  is  left,  even  if  the  allowance  were  reduced,  would  not  last  longer 
than  August  25  or  at  the  most  until  September,  for  we  do  not  know  whether  the 
barrels  of  water  in  the  lower  hold  are  full  or  whether  some  of  the  water  has  leaked  out. 
Taking  these  points  into  consideration  we  have  decided  to  sail  northward  by  true 
compass  on  the  rhumb  ENE  so  that  we  might  in  good  time  examine  those  northern 
regions  and  see  whether  there  is  not  some  land,  as  we  suppose  there  is,  judging  by 
various  reports.  If  we  were  to  continue  on  easterly  courses  we  should  be  sailing 
farther  and  farther  from  Kamchatka  and,  not  being  able  to  replenish  our  supply 
of  water,  we  should  suffer  great  hardships  and,  may  God  preserve  us,  extreme  mis- 
fortune. But  in  going  northerly  we  stand  a  better  chance  of  finding  water  for  our 
needs. 

Bering 

Lieutenant  Waxel 

Fleet  Master  Sofron  Khitrov 

Navigator  Andreyan  Eselberg 

27  From  Khitrov's  journal,  "The  reasons  for  our  action  will  be  found  in  the  exact 
copy  of  the  minutes  given  on  the  next  page."     (Entry  under  July  14,  4  p.  M.) 


MORE  NORTHERLY  COURSE 

^  July  IS,  1 74 1.     After  Midday 


91 


0 

0 

c 

•0 
a 

1 

0 

(J 

I 

S'j 

W/S 

N/E 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy,  sunshiny;  let  out  last  reefs  in 
topsails,  hoisted  trysail. 

2 

5 

3 

4"4 

w 

4 

4'-i 

5 

3 

NW 

NE/E'.E 

Topgallantsail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

6 

3 

7 

2 

N 

NE/E'jE 

/■J 

Took  a  reef  in  topsails;  sounded  in  180  fathoms,  no 
bottom. 

8 

I  '1 

ENE 

■- 

9 

I^J 

', 

10 

iK 

E/N 

Light  wind. 

II 

I 

12 

^4 

■0 
c 
'^ 
0 

■z 

NE    N 

Lowered  topsails  on  caps,  took  in  all  the  other  sails 
because  of  the  calm. 

I 



2 

Sea  running  from  SW.  In  s  hours  we  drifted  iH 
knots  towards  NE  by  N. 

3 



4 

Amplitude  of  rising  sun  S9°oo'  N;  latitude  56°30': 
true  bearing  37°3o';  variation  of  compass  2i°3o', 
or   I'.i    rhumb,   as  we  had   a  small   sea. 

5 

^i 

E/S 

N/E 

Little  wind,  cloudy,  sunshiny;   hoisted  topsails. 

6 

I  M 

Let  out  three  reefs  in  topsails,  set  mainsail,  hoisted 
jib  and  staysails. 

7 

3") 

8 

4 

Topsail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

9 

4 

N",E 

10 

4 

NHE 

II 

4 

N/E 

Sky  clear,  sun  shining. 

12 

4K 

Overcast.  Zenith  distance  37°o8',  declination  of 
the  sun  I9°36'.  latitude  s6°44'.!8 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

IK  rhumb  E 

In 

24  hours 

From  \'aua 

E 

3 

*;  0 

c 

e  c 

—  a  ?, 

.2  £2 

QO 

S 

3 
x: 

no 
e 
0 
■J 

By 
Observation 

NE/N 
6°i2'E 

S3.S 

N 
41' 

E 
32.8 

62' 

56°44' 

429 

E/N 
3°30'E 

49°  19' 

28  Khitrov's  journal  gives  latitude  by  observation  s6°sx'. 


92 


LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

If  July  i6,  1741.     After  Midday 


u 
3 
0 

0 

e 

i 

1-1 

3 
0 

I 

5 

E 

NME 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy,  sunshiny;  carrying  all  sails 
except  main-staysail. 

2 

4H 

3 

4'-i 

4 

4K 

Furled  spritsail. 

S 

S!* 

6 

5'A 

Reef-topsail  wind. 

7 

5'A 

Cloudy. 

8 

4'A 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

9 

4'A 

10 

4K 

E/N 

,'-i 

Strong  reef-topsail  wind. 

II 

4K 

Sounded  in  90  fathoms,  no  bottom. 

12 

4 

!■.- 

I 

3 

ENE 

N 

2 

234 

NE/E 

N'-iW 

Topsail  wind. 

3 

3 

N/W 

4 

3  ''4 

N",W 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

S 

3M 

N 

6 

3K 

N 

7 

3 

NH'W 

8 

4 

N^iW 

Reef-topsail  wind. 

9 

3'A 

N/W 

I  'A 

Cloudy,  sunshiny. 

10 

3'A 

I 'A 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

II 

3 'A 

lA 

12 

2% 

I'A 

Drizzly,  sunshiny.     Took  observation:     zenith    dis- 
tance 38°49'.  declination  of  the  sun  I9°23',  latitude 
S8°I2'.     No  correction  made.  29 

In 

24  ho 

urs 

F 

rom  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

t%  rhumb  E 

Si 

E 

3 
j: 
05 

1^ 

5 

a 
►J 

a  c 

'3s.l 

CO** 

J2 

E 

3 

e 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

N/E 
o°i8'N 

91.6 

N 
90' 

E 
17.4 

32.4' 

S8"'I4' 

429K 

E/N 

o'ai'E 

49°5I' 

28  Khitrov's  journal  gives  latitude  by  observation  S8°I7'. 


Footnotes  to  Log  of  July  17. 

w  Mt.  St.  Elias.    (Identifications  in  this  and  the  next  chapter  by  E.  P.  B.) 
"  The  bluffs  just  west  of  the  entrance  of  Yakutat  Bay. 

32  By    the   calendar    St.   Aphinogena   day  is  July  16,  and  St.  Mariny  day  is  July  17. 
St.  Mariny  Point  is  Cape  Suckling  of  today. 

33  Khitrov's  journal;  "Took  observation  of  setting  sun,  W  15°  N,  latitude  58°30;  true 
bearing  39''30';   variation  of  compass  24°3o'." 


DISCOVERY  OF  LAND 

5  July  17,  1741-     After  Midday 


93 


3 
0 

X 

0 

•3 
C 

3 
0 

u 

I 

3 

NE 

NNW 

I 

At   12:30  we  sighted   liigh  snow-covered  mountains 
'and  among  them  a  high  volcano  N  by  W.  'o   Topsail 
wind,  clear  with   passing  clouds;    carrying  topsails, 
staysails,  foresail,    and    mainsail;    sounded    in    190 
fathoms,  no  bottom. 

2 

4 '4 

NE/N 

NW   N 

3 

3 

Let  out  three  reefs  in  topsails. 

4 

2  !'j 

N'E 

NW/W 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

S 

2 

Cloudy. 

6 

I  !^ 

N 

WNW 

Light  wind. 

7 

IH 

N/W 

W/N 

8  o'clock  took  amplitude  of  sun  W  i5°oo'  N,  true 
bearing  39''3o',  variation  of  compass  24°3o',  or  2 
rhumbs  E.  A  point  of  the  sighted  shore  which  we 
named  St.  Aphinogena^l  bore  N  by  E  about  10 
German  miles;  the  mountains  on  it  are  lower  than 
those  we  had  sighted  before.  The  volcano  bears  now 
N  about  18  miles,  and  s  miles  inshore.  At  this  same 
hour  of  8  we  sighted  another  point  of  the  same 
shore  in  NW,  about  12  miles  from  us,  and  this  point 
we  called  St.  Mariny.32  From  this  point  inshore  there 
is  a  high  elevation  bearing  NNWKW. 

8 

2 

NNW 

W 

I 

9 

I 

NW 

NNE'^E 

I 

lO 

I 

I 

Sounded  in  180  fathoms,  no  bottom. 

II 

K 

NNE 

I 

Sounded  again,  no  bottom.  Clewed  up  mainsail  and 
trysail. 

12 

'i, 

NNW 

NE 

I 

Sounded,  no  bottom. 

I 

^- 

•0 
c 

'1 

0 

Lowered  topsails  on  caps,  lowered  staysails  because 
there  is  no  wind. 

2 

3 

Easterly  swell,  forcing  us  NE  at  the  rate  of  1 K  knots 
in  s'lc  hours. 

4 

S 

6 

7 

iK 

E/S 

NNE>iE 

I 

Topgallantsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds;  set 
topsails  and  mainsail,  hoisted  topmast-staysail  and 
jib. 

8 

1I4 

E 

NNE 

I 

St.  Mariny  bears  NW  by  W,  about  10  German  miles. 

9 

2 

I 

10 

4 

ESE 

N    E 

1 1 

3K 

N 

Topsail  wind;    let  out  reefs  in  topsails. 

12 

2 

iClear  with  passing  clouds,  air  thick,  impossible  to 
get  a  bearing  because  the  shore  is  hidden  by  heavy 
clouds.  In  marking  the  above-mentioned  points  on 
the  chart  we  took  into  consideration  the  variation 
of  the  compass  as  ifi  rhumb  easterly.  '3 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iK  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

J3 
C 
3 

5. 

JO 

a 

5^ 

ill 

Dist.   in 
German 

Miles 

E 

3 
J3 
Oi 

B 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

N/W 
o''o8'N 

30 

N 
29' 

w 

5-7 

10.9' 

S8''43' 

426  K 

E/N 
o°33'N 

49°40' 

(Fooftieltl  30-33  at  bottom  of  opposite  page.) 


94  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

Tp   July  i8,  1 741.     After  Midday 


u 
s 
0 
X 

0 
C 

a 

2 
3 
0 
u 

a 
2 

I 

>i 

N/E 

NW/WKW 

2 

Light  wind,  cloudy;  carrying  topsails,  foresail,  jib, 
and  topmast-staysail. 

2 

ji 

3 

iM 

Heavy  clouds,  rain. 

4 

iK 

5 

iK 

Topgallantsail  u-ind. 

6 

i>^ 

7 

H 

NE/N 

Nw;-iw 

Light  wind,  weather  as  before. 

8 

1% 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails,  set  mainsail. 

9 

2 

N/E 

NW/WMW 

10 

iK 

N 

WNW 

Rain. 

II 

I 

12 

1% 

I 

Sounded  in  190  fathoms,  no  bottom.  Lost  sight 
of  land  owing  to  fog  and  rain 

I 

'A 

2 

'A 

Light  and  variable  winds. 

3 

I 

NNE 

E 

4 

iM 

NW 

Tacked  to  starboard. 

5 

iK 

Let  out  all  reefs  in  topsails. 

6 

iM 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy,  rainy. 

7 

iK 

Thick  fog. 

8 

2K 

N/E 

NW/W 

'A 

0 

2>4 

'A 

10 

2y2 

N 

WNW 

'-■ 

Passed  a  piece  of  driftwood  3/^i  fathoms  long 
which  we  identified  as  pine. 

II 

iH 

;4 

12 

3'A 

N/E 

NWJ^W 

''' 

Topsail  wind,  fog,  rain.  Though  the  land  is  not 
far  away,  yet  because  of  the  heavy  fog  and  rain 
we  could  not  see  it. 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

2  rhumbs  E 

B 

3 

JO 

«  c 

a 

n 

B  S 

—  rt  s» 
jE:= 

5o'^ 

£1 

E 

3 

§ 

By   Dead 
Reckoning 

NW 

o''45'N 

32.8 

N 
23.5' 

W 
22.9 

43' 

59006' 

41 9  K 

E/N 
I°3S'N 

48°47' 

DISCOVERY  OF  LAND 

?)  July  IQ,  1741.     After  Midday 


95 


3 
0 

0 

B 

•0 

c 

2 

3 
0 

73 

I 

3"^ 

NXE 

NVV 

I 

Reef-topsail  wind,  drizzly,  rainy. 

2 

I  'i 

NE    N 

NW   X 

7 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

3 

I 

SW   S 

N 

Fog. 

4 

3?i 

Let  out  reef  in  topsails,  hauled  down  staysails, 
clewed  up  mainsail  and  trysail. 

S 

4 

6 

3,"» 

NW/N 

sw/s 

Tacked  to  port,  hoisted  jib  and  staysail. 

7 

3M 

Fog;  sounded  in  100  fathoms,  no  bottom. 

8 

3K 

SE 

SSWMW 

>^ 

Sighted  a   small    projection    of    land    SW    by    W;  M 
near  it  another  point,  seemingly  on  the  mainland, 
SW    by    WKW',J=     a    second     point    W;   a    third 
point  NW  by  W^i'W,  about  3  or  4  German  miles 
from  us. 

9 

2K 

E/S 

S/EHE 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails,  hauled  down  jib  and 
stay-sails. 

10 

2I4 

2 

II 

2 

2 

Sounded  and  got  55  fathoms,  bottom  soft  bluish 
clay. 

12 

2 

NE   X 

I  !  i 

Tacked  to  starboard. 

I 

3;i 

NNE3iE 

I 

Set  mainsail,  let  out  a  reef  in  topsails,  hauled  up 
jib  and  staysails. 

2 

2^j 

I 

3 

2 

SEME 

I 

4 

2ji 

S/E 

Tacked  to  port,  let  out  two  reefs  in  topsails;  depth 
60  fathoms.  The  projection  of  land  is  now  WJiS, 
and  the  point  of  land  near  it  is  W  about  6  German 
miles. 

5 

3 

SW/S 

6 

3'^ 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy,  sunshiny. 

7 

3 

E 

SW 

Let  out  three  reefs  in  main-topsail,  clewed  up 
mainsail. 

8 

3  "4 

wsw 

9 

3>J 

WNW 

Rainy  and  sunshiny.  The  projection  bears  N  by 
W'j'W  about  2'-i  Grerman  miles. 

10 

4?'i 

NE/E 

NW/W 

Took  three  reefs  in  main-topsail  and  two  in  fore- 
topsail;  depth  60  fathoms. 

«' 

4 

12 

3K 

Reef-topsail  wind.  Projection  is  now  E'-iS;  the 
point  near  it  is  E  and  is  named  by  the  Captain 
Commander  Bering  Cape  St.  Elias;  of  the  two 
other  points,  one  bears  N  by  EKE  and  the  other 
NE  by  N.  They  are  about  7  German  miles,  or  a 
little  farther. 

Variation 

of 
Compass 
2  rhumbs  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

Si 

E 

3 

5 

JO 

"  c 

ti 

r\  0 

a 

c  c 

■  cH 

C 

s 

c 
0 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

WNW 

2°20'N 

28 

N 
11.8' 

W 

2S.S 

48' 

S9°l8''    41 7. '4 

E/N 

2°I2'N 

48°09' 

»«  Pinnacle  Rock  off  Cape  St.  Elias, 
»i  Cape  St.  Elias, 


96  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

(^  July  20,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

0 

c 

•a 

c 

2 

3 
0 

u 

• 

t 

I 

3 

ENE 

N 

Vi 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy,  rainy. 

2 

2J< 

SEKE 

I 

3 

2'A 

I 

Let  out  third  reef  in  main-topsail  and  second  in 
fore-topsail. 

4 

3 

n'A\N 

K 

S 

4« 

Reef-topsail  wind. 

6 

3J^ 

y^ 

Cloudy. 

7 

3K 

E/N 

SE/S 

Vi 

8 

4M 

NE/E 

SE/E 

'-' 

Took  second  reef  in  fore-topsail  and  second  and 
third  in  main-topsail. 

9 

2 

N/WKW 

ro 

2 

NE 

NNWMW 

\i 

Topgallantsail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

II 

3H 

NE/N 

E/S 

I 

Hauled  up  topmast-staysail. 

12 

I  'A 

NW/N 

ji 

I 

iM 

NE 

NNW 

'-J 

Light  wind,  cloudy. 

2 

iK 

ESE 

>i 

3 

2H 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

4 

iK 

M 

5 

2 

NE.'N 

E   S 

Lowered   the  longboat  and  the  yawl  into  the  water. 

6 

i>i 

$ 

On  our  track  we  got  30,  26.  22  fathoms,  bottom  soft 
bluish  clay.  Came  near  the  shore  and  dropped  small 
bower  anchor  in  22  fathoms  about  M  mile  from 
land,  payed  out  ?<  of  a  cable.  Khitrov,  with  the 
assistant  navigator  and  several  members  of  the 
crew,  was  sent  ashore.  The  point  of  land  nearj.us 
bears  S>iW,  M  mile,  second  point  NNEKE  1 
mile;  the  island  in  the  middle  of  the  bay  bears  N 
H  of  a  mile.  36 

7 

8 

Khitrov  and  I  were  sent  to  the  island  bearing  N  J< 
of  a  mile,  to  survey  the  channel;  for  from  where  we 
were  it  seemed  as  if  there  was  a  bay  which  would 
offer  safe  shelter  in  case  of  need. 

9 

During  the  day  we  came  about  every  two  or  three 
hours  in  order  to  get  closer  to  shore. 

10 

E/N 

Sent  the  yawl  ashore  for  water. 

II 

The  yawl  returned  with  water,  and  the  crew  reported 
having  come  across  a  fireplace,  human  tracks,  and  a 
fox  on  the  run.  Adjunct  Steller  brought  various 
grasses. 

12 

Topgallantsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 
Took  observation:  zenith  distance  41  °oi',  declina- 
tion of  the  sun  i8°26',  latitude  S9°27'.  which  we 
corrected  on  the  22nd. 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

2  rhumbs  E 

.Q 

e 

3 

^0 

(5j 

^1 

.5  " 

do 

B 

a 

nil 

By 
Observation 

NE/E 

16 

N 
8.9' 

E 
13-3 

26' 

59''27' 

416 '4 

E/N 

2°24'N 

48°3S' 

M  Khitrov's    journal:     "At    six    o'clock    we    came  within    'A    mile  of  the  island  and 
dropped  the  small  bower  anchor  in  22  fathoms  of  water.  We  called  that  island 

St.  Elias.  The  Captain  Commander  sent  me  in  the  longboat  to  examine  the  strait 

and  to  find  an  anchorage  among  the  islands  seen  by  us  in  the  N."    July  20  is  St.  Elias  day. 
"The  island  in  the  middle  of  the  bay  [which]  bears  N  J<  of  a  mile"  is  Wingham  Island. 


LANDING  ON  KAYAK  ISLAND 

(^  July  21,1741.  After  Midday 


97 


3 
0 

0 

c 
US 

•c 
c 

5 

1 

a 

I 

E/N 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

2 

3 

4 

,The  men  who  returned  on  the  small  yawl  announced 
the  finding  of  an  underground  hut.  something  like 
a  cellar,  but  no  people.  In  this  hut  they  discovered 
dried  fish,  bows,  and  arrows.  The  Captain  Com- 
mander ordered  the  boatswain  to  take  to  that  hut 
a  number  of  government  things:  16M  arshins^' 
of  green  material,  2  knives,  Chinese  tobacco,  and 
pipes.  38 

S 

6 

7 

8 

9 

Khitrov  returned  and  reported  that  he  sounded  on 
the  way  over  to  the  island  and  got  20,  18,  15,  10,  8 
fathoms;  in  the  very  narrowest  place  3.  3K.  and  4 
fathoms;  and  from  4  to  4M  fathoms  near  the  island; 
bottom  sandy  and  m  spots  clayey.  The  island  is 
sheltered  from  many  winds.  On  the  island  was 
discovered  a  summer  hut  made  of  boards,  and  out 
of  it  was  taken  a  wooden  basket,  a  shovel,  and  a 
small  copper-stained  stone.''  This  island  ex- 
tends NW-SE.  It  measures  I  mile  in  length  and 
Yi  mile  across. 

10 

II 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

12 

Stars  out. 

1 

2 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

3 

Cloudy 

4 

Took  on  board  35  barrels  fresh  water,  have  70  barrels. 

5 

N/E 

6 

Sunshine. 

7 

I  >i 

WKN 

Weighed  anchor,  set  topsails  and  foresail,  set  jib  and 
topmast-staysails. 

8 

3 

9 

3 1* 

Took  longboat  and  yawl  aboard. 

10 

2 

Hauled  down  staysails  and  jib. 

II 

2  !  J 

ENE 

wsw 

12 

3M 

E/N 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds.  Cape  St. 
Elias  bears  SE!4E,  about  4  miles;  of  the  two  points 
sighted  one.  which  I  call  A 40  bears  WNWMW; 
and  the  second,  which  is  marked  B.''!  bears 
WSW.  Between  them  is  an  island  and  near  them  a 
bay. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

2  rhumbs  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

s 

3 

JO 

c 

5j 

s  c 

XI 

B 

3 

a! 

c 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

WNW 

4°54'W 

IS 

N 
4.6' 

W 

14-5 

28' 

S9°3l' 

412'A 

E/N 
2°4o'N 

48°07' 

(Footnotes  37-41  on  next  page.) 


98 


LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 


Footnotes  to  Log  of  July  21  on  page  gy. 


3'  An  arshin  is  equal  to  28  inches. 

38  In  1790,  when  the  Billings  expedition  visited  this  island  one  of  the  old  natives 
said  that  "he  remembered  that  when  he  was  a  boy  a  ship  had  been  close  into  the  bay  on 
the  west  side  of  the  island  and  had  sent  a  boat  on  shore;  but  on  its  approaching  land 
the  natives  all  ran  away.  When  the  ship  sailed,  they  returned  to  their  hut  and  found 
in  their  subterraneous  storeroom  some  glass  beads,  leaves  (tobacco),  an  iron  kettle,  and 
something  else"  (Martin  Sauer:  An  Account  of  a  Geographical  and  Astronomical  Expedi- 
tion to  the  Northern  Parts  of  Russia  ...  by  Commodore  Joseph  Billings,  Londcn, 
1802,  p.  194.) 

Bering's  coming  must  have  made  quite  a  stir  among  the  natives  of  Alaska.  The  in- 
habitants of  one  of  the  islands  in  Prince  William  Sound  told  Sarychev  (one  of  Billings' 
officers)  that  a  ship  came  to  Kayak  Island  and  that  the  people  came  ashore  and  left 
some  knives  (Sarychev:  Account  of  a  Voyage  of  Discovery,  London,  1806,  Part  II, 
pp.  52-53). 

39  Khitrov's  journal:  "I  came  aboard  from  shore  in  the  longboat  and  reported  to 
the  Captain  Commander  that  the  channel  to  the  island  has  a  depth  of  3,  3  ,'5 .  and4fathoms, 
that  the  bottom  is  sandy  and  in  places  slimy,  and  that  it  is  sheltered  from  many  winds. 
I  reported  also  that  I  found  on  that  island  a  hut  made  of  hewn  boards,  the  floor  of  the 
hut  being  also  of  boards.  In  place  of  an  oven  it  had  a  kind  of  fireplace.  From  this  hut 
I  brought  along  to  show  Captain  Commander  Bering  a  wooden  basket,  a  shovel,  a  small 
stone  which  had  copper  stains  on  it,  and  one  common  round  stone  with  a  hole.  All  of 
these  things  I  gave  to  the  Captain  Commander.  During  the  whole  time  that  we  remained 
at  anchor  we  took  in  35  barrels  of  water.  At  seven  in  the  morning  we  weighed  anchor, 
set  the  topsails,  foresail,  mainsail,  jib.  and  staysails,  took  on  board  the  small  and  large 
boats,  and  sailed  away.  .  .  That  which  happened  to  me  on  that  island  is  noted  down 
in  the  report  which  I  made  on  the  island  of  St.  Elias." 

«>  A  point  on  the  mainland. 
«l  Cape  Hinchinbrook. 


LANDING  OX  ICAYAK  ISLAND  99 

July  21,  1741 
Report  on  St.  Elias  [Kayak]  Island** 

The  island  of  St.  Elias  lies  N'E  and  SW.  It  is  about  3li  miles  from  the  mainland 
to  the  bay.  It  is  about  2l4  German  miles  long  and  not  more  than  3K  versts  across. 
According  to  my  calculation  it  is  in  latitude  59°  39'  [or  49'- — not  clear]  and  48°  42' 
of  longitude  from  Vaua  on  the  course  E  by  N>i^N,  distant  416K  miles  from  the 
northerly  point.  This  island  stands  out  alone  in  the  sea  like  a  stone  column; 
extending  from  it  a  submerged  reef  of  rocks  may  be  seen  in  low  water.  From  its 
northerly  point  about  %  oi  a.  mile  there  lie.  in  the  bay  between  the  island  and  the 
mainland,  other  islands  which  offer  shelter  from  winds.  To  one  of  these  islands  the 
Captain  Commander  sent  me  with  several  men  in  the  longboat  to  examine  the  strait 
and  to  find  a  good  anchorage.  In  going  there  between  N  and  E,  the  depth  of  the 
channel  was  25,  22,  18,  10,  7,  6,  4,  and  iyi  fathoms  where  it  is  possible  to  anchor; 
and  in  going  to  it  one  should  keep  in  the  middle  between  St.  Elias  and  the  island 
and  watch  out  for  the  projecting  cape  of  the  island,  because  running  out  from  the 
middle  of  the  island  of  St.  Elias  and  this  island  are  submerged  reefs.  On  this 
island  there  are  many  trees,  namely,  fir,  larch,  cedar,  and  other  kinds,  but  little 
of  it  is  good  for  shipbuilding  because  we  had  occasion  to  look  for  a  piece  of  timber 
for  the  topsail  yards  but  did  not  find  it.  We  came  across  (on  the  island)  a  hut  which 
was  made  of  hewn  boards;  the  floor  was  also  made  of  these  boards.  In  place  of  an 
oven  there  was  in  one  corner  of  the  hut  a  fireplace.  Near  the  hut  was  found  a 
wooden  basket  in  which  were  shell  fish,  which  showed  that  the  inhabitants  here  used 
them  for  food.  We  did  not  see  any  people,  but  it  was  quite  evident  that  they  had 
been  here  shortly  before  our  arrival.  I  brought  from  this  island,  in  order  to  show 
our  Captain  Commander,  one  basket,  a  shovel,  a  small  stone  with  copper  stains 
on  it.  It  was  not  possible  to  tell  whether  there  was  or  was  not  suitable  timber  for 
shipbuilding  on  the  mainland,  which  land  is  two  miles  from  this  island.  The  main- 
land has  high  snow-covered  mountains  and  volcanoes,  and,  from  this  as  well  as  from 
the  fact  that  the  material  for  the  hut  and  floor  was  of  good  wide  boards,  we  may 
assume  that  there  may  be  good  timber  there. 

On  St.  Elias  Island  there  is  also  plenty  of  wood.  On  that  island  there  was  dis- 
covered an  earthen  hut  containing  dried  fish  which  were  cured  this  summer.  On 
the  beach  were  seen  human  tracks  in  the  sand,  a  fireplace,  and  running  foxes.  From 
all  this  it  may  be  reasoned  that  the  natives,  on  seeing  us,  ran  away  and  hid  or  that 
they  have  their  habitations  on  the  mainland  and  come  to  the  island  in  summer  to 
catch  fish  and  other  sea  animals.  The  Captain  Commander  decided  to  send  to  that 
hut,  in  order  to  please  the  people,  several  of  the  things  which  we  had  to  give  as 
presents:  namely,  16K  arshins  of  green  material,  2  iron  knives,  20  Chinese  strings 
of  beads,  2  iron  pipes  for  smoking  Chinese  tobacco,  called  '"shar."  All  these  things 
were  left  there.  The  attached  sketch  map  gives  the  position  of  the  bay  and  the 
islands  and  their  relation  to  the  mainland. 

*-  From  Khitrov's  journal.  Khitrov's  sketch  map,  mentioned  in  the  last  sentence  of 
this  report,  was  published  by  Sokolov  in  Zapiski  Hydrogr.  Depart. ,\\'o\.  9,  St.  Petersburg. 
1851.  and  reproduced  by  Lauridsen  in  his  "Vitus  Bering,"  Chicago,  1889.  In  style  of 
execution  it  resembles  his  hitherto  unpublished  map  of  the  Shumagin  Islands,  our  Fig.  11. 


100  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  July  22,  1 741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

X 

0 

a 

T3 

d 

4; 

3 
0 

u 

i 

I 

3 

E,N 

wsw 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds;  carrying 
topsails  and  foresail. 

2 

2K 

SW/WKW 

3 

3K 

Reef -topsail  wind. 

4 

4 

S 

4 

6 

4 

sw/w 

Point  A*3  bears  Ni^E,  about  4  miles,  point  BM 
bears  W  i^bout  4H  miles. 

7 

3K 
3H 

Took  a  reef  in  topsails. 

8 

ENE 

SW>iS 

Sighted  a  point  of  land  opposite  us  SWMS'ts 
about  6  German  miles;  we  see  also  a  small 
bay  <6  the  middle  of  which  is  W^N  about  S  Ger- 
man miles.  *' 

9 

4M 

ssw 

Took  second  reef  in  topsails. 

10 

3"^ 

II 

3'i 

Took   third   reef  in   topsails  and   furled. 

12 

2 

SE 

2 '  J 

Set  trysail  and  main-staysail. 

I 

I  'i 

NE   E 

SE/E 

2  "j 

Undersail  wind,  drizzly. 

2 

2 

2 ;  i 

Sounded  and  got  40  fathoms,  bottom  sandy  and 
rocky. 

3 

2M 

NE 

ESE 

2K 

4 

2 

2M 

Stormy,  squally,  rainy.  The  strait  which  we 
had  seen  at  8  o'clock  is  now  NW  by  W;  one  of 
the  points  of  the  bay  NW'^W,  and  the  other 
NW  by  W^W,  about  6  German  miles  or  less.** 

5 

iK 

NE/E 

SE/E 

3 

Took  a  reef  in  trysail  and  clewed  it  up. 

6 

iK 

3 

7 

2 

ENE 

SE 

3 

8 

2 

3 

Set  the  trysail. 

9 

iK 

SEKS 

2  ■  i 

Strong  undersail  wind,  drizzly,  rainy. 

10 

iH 

2;i 

Wind  going  down. 

II 

I'/i 

2 ',  J 

12 

iM 

2>^ 

Sounded  in  45  fathoms,  bottom  sand  and  small 
rocks. 

In  24  hours                                 '               From  Vaua 

Variation 

of 
Compass 
2  rhumbs  E 

E 
3 

Bi 

J  0 

°1 

tl 

c 

Lat. 

Dist.   ir 

German 

Miles 

,0 

B 

3 

oi 

e 
3 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

SW 
o°44'S 

49.5 

S 
34.6' 

w 

35  5 

68' 

58°57'i       403 

E/N 
I''44'N 

46°S9' 

See  log  of  July  21.  last  hour. 


*3  Some  point  on  the  mainland. 
4^  Cape  Hinchinbrook. 
«5  SE  point  of  Montague  Island. 

«  The  strait  between  Cape  Hinchinbrook  and  Montague  Island. 

«'  Khitrov's  journal:     "Point  E    [easterly     pointl    bears    SWMS,    6M    [miles];    the 
strait  WAN." 

«  Khiuov's  journal:     "The  strait  bears  NW/W,  Point  D  NWJ^W,  6  miles." 


SKIRTING  THE  ALASKAN  COAST 
1^  July  23,  1741.     After  Midday 


lOI 


u 
3 
0 

0 

a 

•a 
c 

1 

3 
0 
U 

a 

I 

2K 

ENE 

SE}4S 

2j'3 

Undersail  wind,  drizzly;  8et  topsail  reefs;  depth 
SO  and  60  fathoms,  sandy  bottom. 

2 

2 

2M 

3 

2 

EN 

SE/S 

2!^ 

4 

2 

2>^ 

S 

iK 

2"^ 

Topsail  wind,  heavy  swell. 

6 

iK 

2  ^i 

7 

iK 

E 

S  '  E  ■ .  E 

2  M 

8 

2 

2'-i 

Let  out  reef  in  trysail. 

0 

2 

2H 

Hauled  up  staysails. 

10 

2K 

2  ■  i' 

II 

2H 

2  "a 

Hauled  down  staysails,  furled  fore-topsail. 

12 

2K 

2  '  1 

I 

2H 

2  '3 

2 

3 

2>-i 

Set  the  fore-topsail  reefed,  hauled  up  fore-top- 
mast-staysail. 

3 

2 

EN 

SSEjiE 

2 

Topsail  \%-ind. 

4 

2 

2 

Drizzly,  rainy. 

S 

2K 

2 

6 

2^f 

2 

Hauled  down  fore-topmast-staysail. 

7 

2'A 

2 

8 

2% 

2 

9 

2K 

2 

Reef-topsail  wind. 

10 

2K 

2 

Drizzly,  rainy. 

II 

3>< 

2 

Hauled  up  fore-topmast-staysail. 

12 

3 

2 

I 

n  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

a  rhumbs  E 

E 

3 

5 

J  0 

Qti! 

c 

n 

Dist.   in 

German 

MUes 

B 

3 

c 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

ssw 

o°35'S 

S46 

s 
50.7' 

W 
20.4 

39' 

S8°o6' 

400 

E/N 

0°02'N 

46°  20' 

102  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

5  July  24,  1741.     After  Midday 


2 
0 

e 

•a 
a 

I 
3 
0 
0 

I 

2 

2 

E 

SSE 

2J4 

Reef-topsail  wind,  sky  overcast,  rain;  carrying  the 
fore  and  main-topsail  reefed,  trysail,  and  fore- 
topmast-staysail. 

2 

2 

i 

3 

2 

2 

/i 

4 

I  W 

2 

/i 

Light  wind,  easterly  swell. 

s 

I  !'i 

2 

/i 

6 

iM 

2 

^ 

7 

2;^ 

E/S 

S/E    ■ 

2 

A 

8 

iK 

2 

4 

9 

3 

E 

S/E',E 

2 

Strong  wind  and  rain. 

10 

3 

E/N 

SSE^E 

2 

II 

3 

NE/E 

SE'jE 

2 

12 

3 

2 

I 

2 

2 

Furled  topsails. 

2 

I  '4 

SE 

3 

3 

I  '< 

3 

4 

I J  J 

3 

Heaved  the  lead  all  night  without  finding  bottom. 

5 

I  yi 

3 
3 

Topsail  wind,  swell. 

6 

2 

7 

2K 

E/N 

SE/S 

3 

8 

I?< 

3 

Reef-topsail  wind. 

9 

iM 

ENE 

SSEKE 

3 

Gloomy. 

10 

iK 

3 

Topsail  wind. 

II 

iM 

3 

Easterly  swell. 

12 

I  >i 

3 

Furled  foresail  and  hove  to  under  the  main-staysail 
and  trysail  on  account  of  the  drizzly  weather  and 
wind.  It  had  been  our  purpose  to  sail  between 
N  and  W  to  observe  more  carefully  the  coast,  but 
the  fog  prevented  us  from  doing  so.  The  land 
we  saw  [on  the  22nd?)  bears  by  true  compass  N 
by  E,  distant  27  German  miles. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

2  rhumbs  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

e 

3 

".  c 
c 

c 

si 

B  C 

B 
3 
s: 

B 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

ssw 

3°oi'S 

45 

s 
423' 

W 
IS 

28' 

S7°24' 

397  K 

E/N 
I°29'E 

4S°S9' 

SKIRTING  THE  ALASKAN  COAST 

?)   July  25,  1 7 41.     After  Midday 


103 


3 

0 

X 

0 

c 

1 

3 
0 

u 

I 

I '4 

ENE 

SE  SJ4E 

s 

Undersail  wind,  drizzly.  We  are  liove  to  under 
main-staysail  and   trysail;  set  the  mainsail   reefed. 

2 

iK 

s 

3 

Ui 

5 

4 

5 

Coming  up  to  SEME,  falling  off  to  SSE. 

5 

i,'i 

5 

6 

I  "4 

5 

7 

I  '4' 

S 

8 

l!4 

5 

9 

5 

Wind  going  down,  weather  as  before. 

10 

S 

II 

5 

12 

S 

At  times  the  stars  are  out. 

I 

5 

2 

J4 

5 

From  noon  until  4  A.  M.  the  course  was  held  be- 
tween coming  up  to  and  falling  off  to. 

3 

H 

5 

4 

E 

5 

Captain  Commander  had  a  consultation  with  his 
officers,  and  it  was  agreed,  while  the  misty  weather 
prevailed,  to  sail  SW  by  compass,  which  would 
take  us  towards  Kamchatka;  but  when  the  weather 
cleared  and  the  wind  turned  fair  to  sail  N  and  W 
in  order  to  observe  the  American  coast. ^ 

S 

2, '4 

SW 

Furled  mainsail,  took  two  reefs  in  main-topsail  and 
hauled  up.  set  the  foresail  and  let  out  a  reef  in  it, 
hoisted  the  yards  in  place,  clewed  up  trysail. 

6 

2M 



7 

2K 

SE 

WSW 

Set  fore-topsail  with  three  reefs. 

8 

3H 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

9 

S'A 

SE  S 

SW 

Gloomy;  set  the  main-staysail. 

10 

5 

Strong   reef-topsail   wind;   furled   fore-topsail. 

II 

iM 

SSE 

I  '3 

Tookthreereefsin  main-topsail. furled  reefed  foresail. 

12 

2 

I  '  1 

Undersail  wind,  drizzly,  wet. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

2  rhumbs  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

J2 

E 

3 

c 

M 

-  0 

c 

^  0 

a 
►J 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

s 

3 

5 

i 

0 

H-l 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

SW/W 
5°31'W 

39-9 

S 
18.9' 

W 
35.2 

6s' 

S7°ol' 

389M 

E/N 
I°59'E 

44°47' 

<»  Khitrov's  journal:  "Got  under  way  again.  With  the  Captain  Commander 
it  was  agreed  while  this  gloomy  weather  lasted  to  hold  the  course  SW  in  order  to  keep 
off  the  land  about  which  we  knew  nothing,  but  in  clear  weather  to  hold  a  W  by  N  course 
in  order  to  see  the  mainland." 


104 


LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  July  26,  1 7 41.     After  Midday 


1 

4.) 

•0 

e 

u 
3 
0 

U 

I 

2K 

SE/S 

sw 

2 

Undersail  wind,  cloudy,  wet. 

2 

2K 

2 

Carrying  main-staysail,  trysail,  and  the  foresail 
reefed. 

3 

2 

2 

4 

ly^ 

2>J 

Light  wind,  heavy  SE  swell. 

S 

i'^ 

2K 

6 

ij< 

2M 

7 

iK 

2K 

8 

ij4 

SE 

2^'2 

Drizzly,  wet. 

9 

iK 

2!^ 

Undersail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

10 

iK 

2>^ 

II 

iK 

2K 

Reef-topsail  wind. 

12 

i¥ 

2  ;-j 

I 

iJ^ 

E 

SSE 

2 

Depth  40  fathoms,  pebbly  bottom.  Hauled  up 
topsails  and  let  out  the  reefs,  set  mainsail,  let  out 
a  reef  in  foresail,  went  on  the  starboard  tack; 
depth  35  fathoms. 

2 

iK 

2 

3 

2 

NNE 

2 

4 

2>i 

SSE 

2 

Tacked  to  port;  depth  40  fathoms;  took  second  reef 
in  topsails;  depth  40,  4s,  50  fathoms,  bottom 
gravelly;  took  third  reef  in  topsails.  Sighted  high 
land  NE  by  N  so  about  4  miles  or  more,  but  soon 
lost  sight  of  it  owing  to  the  mist. 

5 

2K 

E/N 

SE/S 

iM 

6 

3K 

ENE 

SEMS 

iK 

7 

s 

iM 

8 

SE 

iM 

9 

4>^ 

SE/S 

iM 

Strong  reef-topsail  wind. 

10 

4K 

I  'A 

II 

4 

E 

SSE 

I  ''i 

Strong  topsail  wind. 

12 

3  M 

IS 

Gloomy. 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

of 

Compass 

2  rhumbs  E 

a 

JO 
m  a 

c 

ii 

4 

c  c 
J  S.I 

5o'^ 

,0 
S 

3 

X 

Pi 

no 

c 
0 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

SW/S 
4°29'S 

41 

s 
34' 

w 

24 

S3' 

56°3i' 

383  M 

E/N 
3°07'E 

44°  1 2' 

50  Black   Point,   the    southern    extremity    of    Sitkalidak    Island. 
"Sighted  land  NE  by  N,  about  8  miles  away." 


Khitrov's    journal: 


STANDING  OFF  SHORE 

^  July  27,  1741.     After  Midday 


105 


i 

a: 

0 

e 

•0 

c 

1 

3 
0 
U 

ctl 

I 

3 

E/S 

SXaE 

I'A 

Reef-topsail  wind,  cloudy,  wet;  let  out  a  reef  in 
topsails. 

2 

2K 

SE/S 

s/w 

IK 

3 

3K 

SE/S 

SSWMW 

iH 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

4 

2K 

SW/S 

IM 

Set  jib  and  fore-topmast-staysail. 

s 

3>-i 

IM 

6 

3M 

iK 

Sounded  and  got  70  and  60  fathoms. 

7 

3H 

iH 

8 

3>^ 

I^ 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy. 

9 

3K 

I^ 

Took  two  reefs  in   topsails.  61 

10 

2>^ 

SE 

SSW 

2 

Depth  40,  35,  40,  45  fathoms,  gravelly  bottom; 
hauled  down  staysail,  took  three  reefs  in  topsails. 

II 

2%' 

2 

12 

2 

ESE 

s 

2 

Heaved  lead,  no  bottom. 

I 

2 

SJiW 

2 

3 

3>i 

2 

Hauled  up  fore-topsail;  depth  40  fathoms;  furled 
fore-topsail;  undersail  wind;  lowered  foretop- 
staysail,  furled  main-topsail. 

3 

3  M 

SE/E 

s  w 

2 

4 

2?4 
2H 

ESE 

S ' ,  w 

3 

5 

SE 

SSW 

3 

6 

2>i 

3 

Set  main-topsail;  reef-topsail  wind,  clear  \vith 
passing  clouds. 

7 

2 

SE/S 

SW/S 

2J^ 

8 

2'A 

2>^ 

Looked  from  crosstrees  in  all  directions  for  land 
but  saw  none.  In  clear  weather  land  might  be 
seen  about  S  or  10  German  miles  from  us.  The 
lead  line  is  all  we  have  to  go  on. 

9 

3 

2y, 

Sounded  and  got  so  fathoms,  bottom  of  sand  and 
small  rocks;  set  fore-topsail. 

10 

3!^ 

2 

II 

3K 

2 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

12 

3 

2 

Reef-topsail  wind  and  a  head  swell,  drizzly,  rainy. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

3  rhumbs  E 

(n  24  h 

ours 

From  Vaua 

E 

3 

S  c 

c 

&I 
°  = 

c  c 

5c^ 

e 

3 

i 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

WSW 
S°os'W 

67 

s 
20' 

W 

63.8' 

II4-7' 

S6°Il' 

310'A 

E/N 
33°  7  E 

42°  1 7' 

61  Khitrov's  journal:    "Sounded,   but  no  bottom.      We   are   in  danger  of  running  on 
Band  banks  and  therefore  cannot  keep  close  to  land,  hence  have  kept  off  a  few  points." 


I06  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

(^  July  28,  1741.     After  Midday 


u 
3 
0 

X 

1 

■0 
c 

3 
0 

u 

I 

2% 

S/E 

E/S 

Strong  reef-topsail  wind,  drizzly;  tacked  to 
starboard. 

2 

2% 

Carrying  reefed  topsails,  reefed  foresail,  trysail, 
and  raain-topmast-staysail. 

3 

2K 

4 

3 

E^^S 

A 

5 

3M 

A 

6 

3K 

A 

7 

i% 

E/S 

A 

Wind  freshening,  drizzly,  wet. 

8 

3H 

A 

9 

3'A 

-' 

Took  three  reefs  in  topsails,  hauled  down  main- 
topmast-staysail. 

10 

3'A 

A 

SE  swell. 

II 

3'A 

S 

ESE'^E 

A 

12 

3'A 

S'E 

E  S 

A 

Sounded  in  go  fathoms,  no  bottom 

I 

2 'A 

/2 

2 

3 

A 

3 

3'A 

A 

Sounded  again  with  the  same  result. 

4 

A'A 

/i 

Tacked  to  port,  let  out  a  reef  in  main-topsail. 

5 

2J< 

SW/W 

A 

6 

2'A 

/, 
^ 

Let  out  one  reef  in  main-topsail  and  two  in  fore- 
topsail. 

7 

2V, 

8 

2y, 

/a 

Topsail  wind;  hauled  up  staysails. 

9 

3 

SW  /W  "-i  W 

^ 

Reef-topsail  wind,  drizzly,  wet. 

10 

3'A 

S 

wsw 

/, 

II 

2'A 

ESEME 

/2 

Tacked    to    starboard,    took    two    reefs    in   main- 
topsail;  southerly  swell. 

12 

2K 

S/E 

E/S 

I 

■i 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

2  rhumbs  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

C 

5 

^0 

to  C 

c 

c 

B  C 

5^^ 

J2 

3 

B 
0 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

ESE 
2°39'E 

38 

s 

12.8' 

E 
35. 4 

6s' 

SS°58' 

380, -i 

E 

6°S7'N 

43°23' 

STANDING  OFF  SHORE 
^  July  20,  1741.     After  Midday 


107 


to 

§ 

0 

a 

•0 
c 

0 

0 

I 

I 

3% 

S 

ESEKE 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds:  let  out 
two  reefs  in  topsails. 

2 

3K 

3 

3H 

S  swell. 

4 

3 

Drizzly. 

s 

2K 

6 

2K 

S/E 

E/S 

7 

2K 

Wind  and  weather  as  before,  wet. 

8 

2>i 

9 

2 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

10 

1J< 

II 

iK 

Sounded  in  90  fathoms,  no  bottom. 

12 

iK 

Sounded  a  second  time,  nn  bottom. 

I 

iK 

E'iS 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  main  topsail. 

2 

xK 

Set  the  jib. 

3 

iM 

4 

I  'A 

Topgallantsailwind.let  out  third  reef  in  main-topsail. 

S 

I 
I 

SE  S 
SE 

EN 
SSW 

At  4:30  we  came  about  on  the  port  tack. 

6 

2 

7 

2y, 

Topsail  wind,  drizzly. 

8 

2'A 

Took  a  reef  in  main-topsail. 

9 

4 

SE/E 

S  /W  5^  W 

Reef-topsail  wind,  weather  the  same. 

10 

4}< 

Took  another  reef  in  fore-topsail,  hauled  down 
jib. 

II 

S 

Took  another  reef  in  main-topsail. 

12 

S'A 

Strong  reef-topsail  wind,  drizzly. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

i 

3 

5 

^1 

c 

5  9 

n 

c  c 

1 

3 

C 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

SSE 
7°02'E 

345 

S 
30' 

E 

17 

30' 

SS°28' 

3&TA 

E 
S°42'N 

43°S3' 

io8  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

If    July  30,  1741.     After  Midday 


f 

u: 

S 
u 

>. 

J! 

I 

3K 

E/S 

s/w 

>i 

Strong  reef -topsail  wind,  rain;  hauled  down  stay- 
sails, took  three  reefs  in  fore-topsail,  furled  fore- 
topsail. 

2 

4 

'J 

3 

s 

s 

y^ 

Undersail  wind;  took  three  reefs  in  main-topsail, 
furled  main-topsail  and  foresail. 

4 

3 

Yi 

5 

I'A 

SSE 

5 'A 

Hove  to  under  main-staysail  and  trysail  on 
account  of  the  gale.  Coming  up  to  SE  by  S, 
falling  off  to  S  by  E. 

6 

I J4 

5!j 

7 

iX 

SE/E 

s/w 

3 

Strong  reef-topsail  wind;  set  foresail  and  main- 
sail. 

8 

iM 

s/w-^w 

3 

9 

iM 

3 

2 

Hauled  up  the  main-topsail  reefed  and  main- 
topmast-staysail. 

10 

2K 

II 

3 

SE 

ssw 

2 

Set  the  fore-topsail. 

12 

2K 

SSW  ■  j  w 

2 

I 

2 

SE/S 

sw/s 

2 

Topsail  wind,  drizzly,  wet. 

2 

IJ< 

2 

3 

2 

2 

Heaved  the  lead  all  night,  no  bottom. 

4 

2^ 
2K 

3 

A 

S 

/, 

Let  out  a  reef  in  topsails. 

6 

SW  ■  i  s 

/i 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

7 

3K 

A 

Reef-topsail  wind,  drizzly,  rain. 

8 

3K 

A 

9 

2K 

sw/s 

A 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

10 

3 

A 

II 

2M 

A 

12 

3 

SW>iS 

A 

Tacked  to  starboard,  let  out  a  second  reef  in 
fore-topsail. 

Variation 
of 

Compass 
iK  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

0 

3 
Si 

to  C 

c 

a 

c  c 
3  E.I 

0 

E 

3 
.c 
Pi 

oil 
§ 

By   Dead 
Reckoning 

sw/w 

2°47'W 

S8 

S 

31' 

W 

SO 

90' 

S4°S7' 

37SK 

E 
4°42'N 

42°23' 

STANDING  OFF  SHORE 

5  July  31,  1 7 41.     After  Midday 


109 


X 

1 

■0 

e 

1 

3 

0 

0 

>> 

1 

- 

I 

2  ■  J 

s 

ESE 

1"4 

Topsail  wind,  clear. 

2 

3 

IK 

3 

3  5-2 

iK 

4 

3'j 

iJ^i 

Wind  as  before,  overcast. 

S 

3 

I  K 

6 

3 

Chilly,  damp. 

7 

2K 

I, '4 

8 

2j< 

I  "4 

Took  an  observation:  amplitude  of  setting 
sun  W  7°o'  N,  true  bearing  27°3o',  variation  of 
compass  20  "30',  which  is  accepted  as  Hi  rhumb. 

9 

2'.i 

I  Vi 

Reefed  fore-topsail  and  trysail. 

lo 

2H 

ESE  -i  E 

I  !. 

Hauled  down  staysails. 

II 

234 

I'i 

Stars  out. 

12 

2  '1 

ESE 

I'i 

I 

3 

I  'i 

2 

21-. 

I  "i 

Topsail  wind;  set  the  staysails. 

3 

2M 

ESEKE  t 

I'j 

4 

2K 

ESE 

Ij'i 

Drizzly. 

5 

2^4 
2 

ESE!^E 

I   J-3 

6 

S   E 

TT? 

Let  out  a  reef  in  topsails. 

7 

2!i 

8 

2M 

I  !-^ 

At  the  end  of  the  hour  tacked  to  port. 

9 

IK 

S 

wsw 

2 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  main-topsail,  set  jib. 

10 

iV. 

2 

II 

2'A 

s/w 

w/s 

2 

Clear  with  passing  clouds;  let  out  third  reef  in 
main-topsail. 

12 

2ji 

2 

Topsail  wind.  Took  an  observation:  zenith 
distance  39°23'.  declination  of  the  sun  I5°26', 
latitude  S4''49'.^ 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

i^  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours                                               From  Vaua 

Si 

a 

JO 

T.   C 

ti 

c 

Lat. 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

Si 

E 

3 

5 

i 

5 

By 
Observation 

E/S 

O°02'S 

41 

s 

8' 

E 
40.3 

70.5' 

54° 49'     38s K 

E 
4°i6'N 

43°33' 

M  Khitrov's  journal   gives  latitude   by   observation   S4°46'- 


no  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

p)  August  I,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 

0 

3; 

0 
c 

•0 

6 

n 

I 

3 

SE 

WKN 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds;  carry- 
ing all   sails;   the  fore-topsail  has  one  reef. 

2 

3 

3 

3 

Lowered  two  cannons  with  their  carriages  into 
the  hold. 

4 

2 

S 

I>2 

Topgallantsail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

6 

II4 

7 

iJi 

Light  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

8 

iK 

Took  two  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

9 

I'A 

w 

Hauled  down  jib  and  topmast-staysail. 

10 

'A 

Light  wind,  thick  mi^t  nn  the  horizon. 

II 

M 

12 

Calm,  stars  out. 

I 

Clewed  up  trysail. 

2 

I 

ENE 

WKN 

Light  wind,  cloudy. 

3 

iK 

4 

iK 

WNW 

Topgallantsail  wind;  let  out  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

S 

2  3-4 

NE 

Set   the    trysail,   jib,   and    topmast-staysail. 

6 

4 

7 

3 

NW/WKW 

Topsail  wind;  let  out  third  reef  in  main-topsail, 
hauled  up  spritsail. 

8 

5 

l^t  out   third  reef  in  fore-topsail. 

9 

4K 

Reef-topsail  wind. 

10 

S 

Let  out  reefs  in  foresail  and  mainsail. 

11 

43^ 



Drizzly. 

12 

4J< 

Fog,  damp. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iK  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

.J  0 

is 

c  c 
"-  «  2 

J2 

6 

3 

a. 

% 

By   Dead 
Reckoning 

N/W 
7°29'W 

54 

N 
33' 

w 

43 

7S' 

5S°22' 

373  K 

E 

S°4I'N 

42°i8' 

LANDFALL:  CHIRIKOV  ISLAND 

(v)  August  2,  1 741.     After  Midday 


III 


u 

a 
0 
X 

0 

c 

•3 

c 

3 
0 
0 

% 

I 

5^ 
S 

NE 

NW/W>iW 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds;  carry- 
ing all  sails. 

2 

3 

4K 

4 

4K 

S 

5 

Furled  spritsail. 

6 

4>^ 

Hauled  down  staysail  and  jib,  took  two  reefs  in 
topsails. 

7 

3K 

ENE 

8 

m- 

Thick,   wet  fog;  sounded   and   got   35   fathoms. 

9 

4J4 

E/N 

SE/S 

K 

Tacked  to  port;  depth  30,  35,  28  fathoms,  sandy 
bottom. 

10 

4 

ENE 

SE 

Vt 

II 

3!^ 

E/N 

SE/S 

K 

12 

2 '  i 

J-i 

Sounded  and  got  30,  28  fathoms. 

I 

I 

K 

Light  wind,  fog,  wet.  Sighted  land  SE  by  E, 
but,  owing  to  darkness  and  mist,  it  was  difficult 
to  determine  whether  it  was  an  island  or  a  part 
of  the  mainland.  Tacked  to  starboard,  furled 
the  sails,  and  dropped  the  small  bower  anchor 
in  1 8  fathoms.  63  Tide  was  running  from  N 
to  S. 

2 

2 

E 

NNE 

i-X 

3 

— 

•0 
c 

0 
Z 

$ 

4 

S 

6 

7 

8 

Decided  it  was  an  island,  extending  from  E  to 
W.  It  was  about  K  of  a  German  mile  in  size 
and  I  mile  from  us.  The  W  point  of  the  island 
bore  S>iE,  the  E  point  ESE;  near  it  is  a  reef 
about  ii  mile  long.  S4 

9 

10 

Heavy,  wet  fog. 

II 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

12 

Warm. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iX  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

J3 

E 

3 

Si 

C6 

5^ 

si 

M 
J 

SI 

E 

3 
Ji 

§ 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

NW/W 
4°56'W 

23 

N 
11' 

W 
20 

3S' 

SS°33' 

368 

E 
6°I2'N 

4I°43' 

53  Northern  end  of  Chirikov  Island,  so  named  by  Vancouver  on  April  4,  1794,  in 
lionor  of  the  commander  of  the  St.  Paul  (George  Vancouver:  A  Voyage  of  Discovery  to 
the  North  Pacific  Ocean  .  ...  3  vols,  and  atlas,  London,  1798;  reference  in  Vol.  3,  p.  87). 
For  the  names  given  by  Bering  and  his  officers,  see  footnote  56.  below. 

5«  Khitrov'3  journal:  "8  o'clock  in  the  morning.  One  point  of  the  island  bore  S ME, 
I  '/i  miles,  another  point  ESE,  2  miles.  From  the  first-mentioned  point  there  is  a  rocky 
reef  to  the  N,  I  mile," 


112  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

@  August  3,  1 7 41.     After  Midday 


3 

0 

a 

0 

c 

T3 
C 

2 
3 
0 

u 

Si 

I 



T3 

a 

0 
Z 

Clear  with  passing  fog. 

2 

3 

Weather  as  above,  wet. 

4 

5 

sw 

Light  wind,  weather  as  before. 

6 



No 
wind 

7 

8 

I 

S/W 

NNE 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy.  8:30,  weighed  the 
anchor,  set  topsails,  foresail,  and  got  under  way, 
having  18,  20  fathoms  of  water  on  our  track, 
bottom  sandy  and  shelly. 

9 

2 

10 

2 

II 

2 

N/E 

Depth  20,  24,  26  fathoms,  bottom  as  above. 

12 

2 

I 

% 

s 

NNE 

Light  wind.  25,  22  fathoms,  bottom  of  small 
rocks.  Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy.  Depth  20, 
21,  19,  18;  bottom  as  before,  in  places  shells.  66 

2 

2 

N/E 

3 

2 

4 

3 

sw 

NNW 

5 

3K 

WNW 

I  '4 

Fog,  wet;  17  fathoms  of  water. 

6 

3K 

I  M 

20,  23,  25  fathoms  of  water,  bottom  of  small 
rocks. 

7 

3K 

WNW>4W 

M 

The  island  where  we  stood,  and  which  we 
named  Archdeacon  Stephen,66  bears  now,  the 
center  of  it,  S  about  7  German  miles.  From 
the  crosstrees  we  could  see  no  other  land  be- 
cause the  air  was  not  clear.     28  and  30  fathoms. 

8 

3M 

}^ 

9 

3 

WNW 

M 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy,  foggy. 

10 

2M 

^' 

35  and  40  fathoms,  sandy  bottom;  carrying 
trysail,  staysail,  jib,  mainsail;  sounded,  no  bottom. 

II 

2K 

!-i 

12 

2^ 

M 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

of 

Compass 

iK  rhumb  E 

.0 
B 
3 

*J  0 
10  c 

^ 

si 

c  c 

J3 

a 

3 

c 

3 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

N/W 
6''o6'W 

33-5 

N 

32' 

W 
10 

17.8' 

S6°05' 

364J< 

E/N 
3°43'E 

4I°2S' 

65  Khitrov'si  journal:  "The  going  out  of  the  tide  as  well  as  the  fog  and  rocky  bottom 
made  our  situation  critical.     On  that  account  we  changed  our  course  to  NNW." 

66  Archdeacon  Stephen  day  is  August  2.  This  island,  the  modem  Chirikov  Island, 
■would,  according  to  Khitrov  (see  footnote  60,  below),  seem  to  have  been  named  Tumannoi 
(Foggy)  Island.    Cf.  also  Waxel's  report,  p.  272. 


LANDFALL:  SEMIDI  ISLANDS 
(^  August  4,  1741.     After  Midday 


113 


3 
0 

0 

c 

T3 
C 

5 

2 
3 
0 
U 

I 

I 

I  "j 

sw 

\VNV\ 

■j 

Liglit  wind,  fog. 

2 

2|; 

-'■' 

Clear  with  passing  fogs  and  clouds.  Sighted  a 
high  volcano"  in  WNW^iN,  about  is  German 
miles  away. 

3 

2H 

s/w 

W/S 

■i 

Have  all  sails  set  except  spritsail. 

4 

3 '4 

,!i 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

5 

2K 

s 

VVSW  ■  i  W 

■j 

Let  out  three  reefs  in  topsails. 

6 

3 

'i 

7 

2M 

wsw 

!i 

8 

2K 

s/w 

W/S 

3i 

Went  on  the  starboard  tack. 

9 

iV, 

SE/E 

■i 

Took  reef  in  topsails. 

10 

2 

SE    EHE 

Hauled  down  jib. 

II 

iK 

s 

ESE 

Light  wind,  stars  out. 

12 

Calm 

Calm,  wet,  fog. 

I 

2 

SE/S 

E/N 

'3 

Hauled  down  fore-topmast-staysail. 

2 

iH 

M 

3 

I '< 

,", 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

4 

iK 

S 

2 

SE 

SSW 

'"' 

Came  about  on  the  port  tack,  set  jib,  let  out 
reefs  in  topsails. 

6 

2M 

ESE 

s 

,', 

7 

2K 

Heavy,  wet  fug. 

8 

4 

E 

S   E 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds.  Sighted 
two  points  of  the  shore;  one  bore  NNW  about  8 
miles,  the  other  WSWHS  about  9  miles;  be- 
tween them  was  an  island  W'iN  about  4'i  miles 
from  us.  About  noon  we  sighted  five  islands  58 
not  far  from  the  above-mentioned  island.  These 
five  islands  bear  SSW'i  W  about  s  miles;  the  most 
northerly  bears  WSW  4  miles,  and  we  named 
it  Theodosius  Island. *' 

9 

41-1 

10 

3?. 

S'^iE 

Light  fog. 

II 

3K 

S/EME 

Every  hour  of  the  day  we  sounded  but  found 
no  bottom. 

12 

2K 

E/N 

SSEME 

The  island  Archdeacon  Stephen  bears  E  by  S.  so 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iV,  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

s 

3 
Si 

OS 

*J  0 

U 

s 

a 

s  c 

XI 

3 

§ 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

SSW 
6°il'W 

26.7 

s 
234' 

w 

12.8 

22.4' 

SS°42' 

362 

E 

6°4i'N 

4I°03' 

5'  Mt.  Chiginagak. 

68  Semidi  Islands.  Named  the  Eudoxia  Islands  according  to  Sokolov,  Zapisk-  Hydrogr. 
Depart.,  Vol.  9,  St.  Petersburg,  1851,  p.  388. 

"  Khitrov's  journal:  "Sighted  five  islands;  the  southern  one  SSWKW  s  miles,  the 
northern  WSWJ4W  s  miles." 

^  Khitrov's  journal:    "Foggy  Island  where  we  stood  at  anchor  bore  E  by  S." 


114  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  August  5,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

1 

s 

•0 
C 

3 
0 
U 

.4 

I 

2V, 

E 

SSE 

Topsail  wind,  fog,  wet,  rain. 

2 

3 'A 

3 

4K 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

4 

3 

Reef-topsail  wind. 

s 

3'A 

S/E",E 

Fog.  rain. 

6 

3 'A 

7 

4 

E/S 

S/E 

Strong  reef-topsail  wind. 

8 

4 

ESE 

S 

Carrying  topsails,  foresail,  mainsail,  and  stay- 
sail. 

9 

3K 

10 

IK 

SE 

NE/EME 

10:30,  tacked  to  starboard. 

II 

3K 

12 

3;-^ 

I 

2H 

Topsail  wind. 

2 

2H 

Wet  fog. 

3 

2iJ 

ssw 

At  the  end  of  the  hour  came  about  on  port  tack. 

4 

2M 

S 

^ 

From  noon  to  this  hour  we  sounded  but  found 
no  bottom;   let  out  a  reef  in  main-topsail. 

6 

3 

SE/E 

S/WMW 

I 

Sounded  and   got  40  fathoms,   bottom  of  gravel. 

7 

2H 

SE/S 

E/N 

2 

Came  about  on  starboard  tack. 

8 

2'A 

2 

Heavy  S  swell. 

9 

2 

ENEME 

2 

Topgallantsail  wind,  heavy  fog. 

10 

2 

2 

2 

II 

2 

Clear  with  passing  fog.  Since  I2  o'clock  we 
have  sounded  but  found  no  bottom. 

12 

^ 

SE/S 

E/N 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iH  rhumb  E 

In 

24  hours 

F 

rom  Vaua 

.0 

s 

3 
JS 

.JO 

c 

c 

2j° 

c  c 

J2 

E 

3 
s: 

bo 

c 
0 

-1 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

S/E 
3°58'E 

30'A 

s 
294' 

E 
8 

14' 

55°I3' 

364 '< 

E 

S°28'N 

4I°I7' 

KEEPING  OUT  TO  SEA 

1^  August  6,  1 741.     After  Midday 


115 


3 

0 

S 

0 

c 

£ 

^0 

I 

2 

SE  S 

ENEJ-iE 

Topgallantsail  wind,  wet,  fog. 

2 

2ji 

SE 

ENE 

Set  jib  I  carrying  topsails  and  staysails,  foresail, 
mainsail,  and  trysail. 

3 

3 

ESE 

S'l'W 

iM 

Came  about  on  the  port  tark. 

4 

3 

iK 

5 

2 

SK 

ssw 

I  M 

Sighted  sea  otters,  whale=,  and  sea  lions. 

6 

I  'm 

SE   S 

sw  s 

Light  wind. 

7 

I  'i 

SSE 

sw 

8 

i»i 

S 

SW/W^iW 

2 

9 

2H 

Tacked  to  starboard. 

ID 

2!^ 

Light  wind,  heavy  fog,  wet. 

II 

2^^ 

Stars  out. 

12 

2'-^ 

S  swell. 

I 

% 

E  S 

3 

Heavy,  wet  fog. 

2 

,■-■4 

3 

3 

% 

3 

Clewed  up  mainsail,  foresail,  and  tr>'sail. 

4 

H 

E 

3 

Hauled   down  staysails  because  of  lack  of  wind. 

S 

i^ 

3 

6 

i^ 

ENE 

3 

Lowered  topsails  on  the  caps. 

7 

Ji 

3 

8 

■i 

NE 

3 

Sounded  in  120  fathoms,  sandy  bottom. 

9 

■i 

3 

10 

^^ 

3 

From  I  o'clock  in  the  morning  until  noon  we 
took  into  consideration,  in  making  our  calcula- 
tions,  the   heavy   swell   from   S  to   N. 

II 

;^ 

12 

■j 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

IK  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

E 

3 
5 

.JO 

a 

Q.3 

c  c 

S 
3 

0 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

SE 
3°49'E 

2 

s 

1-4' 

E 
1.6 

2' 

55°I2' 

366 

E 

S°22'N 

4I°I9' 

ii6 


LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

5  August  7,  1 74 1.     After  Midday 


u 
3 
O 

0 

c 
i4 

•a 
c 

3 
O 

U 

a 

I 

I 

iM 

SE;S 

E/N 

iK 

Light   wind,   clear  with   passing   fogs  and   rain. 

2 

iK 

iH 

3 

iK 

SE 

ENE 

I'A 

rSet    the    jib;    carrying    all    sails    except    spritsail 
and  main-staysail ;  let  out  three  reefs  in   topsails. 

4 

2 

i]A 

S 

2H 

I 

Topgallantsail  wind,  wet  fog. 

6 

3 'A 

I 

Topsail  wind,  took  a  reef  in  topsails. 

7 

4M 

I 

8 

3 

I 

Hauled  down  jib. 

9 

4 

SE/E 

S/V/'AW 

I 

Tacked  to  port. 

lO 

3 

I 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

II 

3 

I 

12 

2 'A 

I 

2H 

SE/S 

SSW  V,  w 



Topsail  wind,  drizzly. 

2 

214 

3 

2'/, 

SSE 

EJ4S 

I  J'i 

Tacked  to  starboard. 

4 

2 -A 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

S 

3 

S/E 

E/S 

6 

3 

S/E 

ESEME 

Let  out  third  reef  in  main-topsail,  set  the  jib. 

7 

Mi 

Topsail  wind,  drizzly. 

8 

3 

Clear. 

9 

3 

Heaved   the  lead   all  day   but  found   no  bottom. 

lo 

3>i 

1 1 

3 

Saw  a  small  dead  whale. 

12 

3 

S 

SE/EKE 

I 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

ij<  rhumb  E 

3 

JO 

c 

c  s 

QO 

3 

0 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

ESE 
i''o4'S 

39 

s 

157' 

E 
36 

64' 

S4°SS' 

376 

E 
4°37'N 

42°23' 

KEEPING  OUT  TO  SEA 

It  Augusts,  1741.     Aflrr  Midday 


117 


3 

0 

1 
« 

1 
5 

3 
0 

u 

t 

I 

4 

s/w 

SE/EHE 

Topsail  wind,  cold.  wer. 

2 

3 

SE/E 

Carrying  all  sails  except  sprit  and  main-staysail. 

3 

2Ji 

^ 

4 

3 

S 

3'4 

Topsallant.sail  wind,  weather  the  same. 

6 

2^4 

7 

2 

8 

I  H 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsail. 

9 

I  !  J 

10 

I  !  J 

^ 

II 

2 

12 

I  Ji 

I 

2i4 

Topsail  wind. 

2 

2li 

ssw 

SE'jE 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

3 

2^i 

Heavy  wet  fog. 

4 

21; 

sw/s 

SE/S 

I 

5 

2  '4 

I 

6 

iH 

I 

Topgallantsail  wind,  drizzly. 

7 

Hi 

Sunshine. 

8 

iH 

sw 

SSE 

9 

2 

sw/s 

SE/S 

Sounded  all  da>',  no  bottom. 

10 

2H 

sw 

SSE  ME 

I 

II 

2 

SSE 



Topgallantsail    wind,    clear    with    passing    clouds. 

12 

2 

Took     an     observation:     zenith    distance   4i°24', 
declination  of  the  sun  I2°S7'.  latitude  54°2i  .61 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iH  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours                                   jj              From  Vaua 

0 
3 

JO 
an  C 

c 

a 

Lat. 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

J2 
S 
3 

c 
0 

By 
Observation 

SE 
o°23'S 

47.8 

s 
34' 

E 
33-5 

58' 

S4°2i'     386^ 

E 
3°I2'N 

43°2l' 

SI  Khitrov's  journal  gives  latitude  by  observation  S4°ix', 


ii8  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

(v)  August  0,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

0 

c 

•0 
c 

2 

3 
0 
U 

1 

I 

IK 

sw/w 

SKE 

I 

Light   wind,   clear  with   passing  clouds;  carrying 
all  sails  except  spritsail  and  main-staysail. 

2 

iK 

3 

I'A 

4 

I'A 

Fog,  wet. 

S 

I 

6 

iJ^ 

7 

iM 

wsw 

S>^E 

8 

iK 

sw/w 

S/E 

Took  a  reef  in  topsails. 

9 

2 

S/Ej'jE 

10 

iK 

S/E 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

II 

iK 

Fog,  stars  out. 

12 

i!4 

I 

iK 

wsw 

S 

Light  wind. 

2 

iK 

3 

iK 

4 

iK 

w/s 

s/w 

Let  out  reefs  in  topsails. 

5 

I  J-4 

^ 

Cloudy. 

6 

I   '4 

7 

i;4 

wsw 

SV,W 

8 

K 

S 

9 

Calm 

Calm,  foggy. 

10 

K 

SW 

SSE 

Light  wind. 

II 

i^ 

wsw 

S 

Fog.  wet. 

12 

2 

w  S 

S/W 

Topgallantsail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

In  24  hours                                                  From  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iH  rhumb  E 

£1 

s 

3 

5 

4J  0 

0^ 

Lat. 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

J2 

s 

3 

c 

0 

J 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

s 

4°25'W 

30 

S 

29.8' 

w 
2.3 

3' 

S3°Si'Il    3863^ 

E 

2°04'N 

43° 18' 

DECISION  TO  HASTEN  RETURN 

^  August  10,  1 74 1.     After  Midday 


119 


3 
0 

X 

s 

0 

c 

•0 

a 

3 

0 
0 

CO 

I 

2K 

W/N 

SSWHW 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy. 

2 

2 

SW/S 

I 

Carrying  topsails,   staysails,  foresail,  and 
sail. 

mam- 

3 

■-i 

4 

I 

NW   W 

SW'.W 

Wet.  foggy  on  the  horizon. 

5 

I 

W    N 

SSW  ■ ,  W 

I 

I-ight  wind,  weather  the  same 

6 

2^4 

SW/S 

•1 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

7 

2 

y. 

8 

2  Vj 

'A 

Took  a  reef  in  topsaiKs. 

9 

3 

WNW 

SSW 

•A 

Cloudy. 

10 

4 

'A 

Topsail  wind. 

II 

3M 

Moon  and  stars  out. 

12 

4 

I 

4, '4 

W/N 

Reef -topsail  wind. 

2 

314 

3 

4 

4 

4;'4' 

5 

3 

SW/SHW 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy. 

6 

2K 

2 
il^ 

WNW 

SW 

•1 

Let  out  reefs  in  topsails. 

7 

8 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

9 

I 

NW/W 

SW/WKW 

I  '4 

10 

Ji 

I  '1 

II 

I  '4 

W/S 

S  'W  '  i  w 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy. 

12 

I  '4' 

s/w 

I 

Variation  of  compass  I'A  rhumb  easterly .^2 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

of 

Compass 

I  'A  rhumb  E 

E 
3 
.c 
Oi 

S  c 

5". 

Q-1 

c 

4i 

to 

.S5„ 

e 
3 

be 
c 
0 
J 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

SW 
3''I2'S 

S8.3 

S 

43. s' 

W 
38.9 

64.6' 

S3°o8' 

381  J< 

E 
o°32'N 

42°I3' 

62  Khitrov's   journal:    "Captain    Bering  with  the  rest   of   us   signed   the   decision   we 
came  to,  an  exact  copy  of  which  is  here  attached."    (See  next  page.) 


120  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

August  10,  1 741 
Decision  to  Hasten  Return  «' 

Captain  Commander  Bering,  Lieutenant  Waxel,  Fleet  Master  Khitrov,  and 
Navigator  Eselberg  met  to  discuss  the  agreement  reached  by  us,  together  with 
Captain  Chirikov  and  the  officers  of  the  SI.  Paul,  on  May  4,  1741,  in  the  Harbor 
of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul.  It  was  then  agreed  that  while  at  sea  we  should  keep  in 
mind  to  return  to  the  above-named  port  towards  the  end  of  September.  Now  it  is 
August  10,  which  is  regarded  as  already  autumn,  and  according  to  all  calculations 
we  are  not  very  far  short  of  400  German  miles  [from  our  destination].  Although, 
according  to  our  former  decision,  we  should  still  spend  some  time  in  examining  the 
discovered  American  coast,  yet  we  find  this  to  be  dangerous  because  of  the  violent 
autumn  storms  and  continuous  heavy  fogs.  Jt  is  not  safe  to  approach  the  land,  for 
we  do  not  know  the  lay  of  it.  There  are  many  sand  banks  and  islands,  as  may  be  seen 
from  the  chart  which  we  have  drawn  up.  We  do  not  even  know  where  to  look  for 
shelter.  The  assistant  surgeon,  Betge,  has  submitted  a  report  in  which  he  says 
that  there  are  five  men  on  the  sick  list,  totally  unfit  for  duty  and  that,  of  the  others, 
sixteen  are  badly  affected  with  scurvy  and  if  we  continue  at  sea  until  the  late 
autumn  these  men  too  will  be  unfit  for  service. 

On  examining  the  log  book  we  notice  that  up  to  now  the  winds  have  been  easterly, 
and  we  fear  lest  the  westerly  winds  may  set  in  soon  and  prevent  us  from  reaching 
port  before  the  late  autumn.  We  summoned  before  us  Ensign  Lagunov  and  all 
petty  officers,  namely.  Assistant  Navigator  Yushin,  Assistant  Skipper  Khatianintsov, 
Assistant  Constable  Roselius,  Boatswain  Nils  Jansen,  Boatswain's  Mate  Alexei 
Ivanov  and  read  to  them  our  arguments  just  mentioned.  They  agreed  with  them; 
also  in  the  idea  that  we  should  steer  for  the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  along 
the  S3rd  parallel  of  latitude,  or  as  near  to  it  as  the  winds  will  permit,  because  the 
last  we  saw  of  the  American  coast  was  on  the  ssth  parallel  and  by  going  to  the  ssrd 
we  may  learn  if  the  coast  extends  that  far. 

Bering 

Lieutenant  Waxel 

Fleet  Master  Sofron  Khitrov 

Navigator  Andreyan  Eselberg 

63  Khitrov's  journal. 


HEAD  WINDS  ALONG  53rd  PARALLEL 

(^  August  II,  1 741.     After  Midday 


121 


9 

0 

0 

e 

•a 
c 

2 
3 
0 

I 

I 

W/S 

s/w 

I 

Light  wind,  cloudy;  carrying  topsails,  staysails, 
foresail,   mainsail,   and   main-staysail. 

2 

I 

3 

I 

4 

I 

S 

I 

6 

'A 

svv 

SSE 

At  times  no  wind. 

7 

I 

wsw 

S 

8 

I 

9 

~Ti 

S'AK 

iM 

Moon  and  stars  out. 

10 

sw/w 

S/E 

iK 

II 

M 

iM 

12 

K 

sw 

SSE 

I'i 

Light  wind,  cloudy. 

I 

M 

iK 

2 

^ 

I   '•3 

3 

'A 

I'A 

4 

y-, 
~y* 

•0 

c 

0 

z 

WSW 

Weather  as  before.  Clewed  up  mainsail  and 
trysail,  hauled  down  jib  because  of  lack  of  wind, 
sounded  in  i8o  fathoms  without  striking  bottom; 
heavy  passing  clouds  overhead. 

5 

6 

7 

8 

iM 

S/E 

sw/w 

I 

Set  the  jib  and  hauled  up  foresail,  mainsail, 
and  trysail. 

9 

iK 

E 

wsw 

10 

2 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

II 

2"-i 

Cloudy. 

12 

2M 

64 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

S 

s 

d2 
c 

1 

a 

c  c 
■11^ 

E 

3 
SI 

c 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

SW 
2''S7'S 

i6>i 

s 

12.2' 

W 
II 

18' 

S2°5S' 

379 

E 

O°02'N 

4I°SS' 

"*  Khitrov's  journal  gives  latitude  by  observation  S2''4o'.     This  value"'has  been  used 
on  the  chart  (PI.  I). 


122  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  August  12,  1 741.     After  Midday 


3 

0 

0 

c 

•0 
c 

1 

3 
0 

a 

1 

2J< 

E 

wsw 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy;  carrying  topsails, 
foresail,    mainsail,    trysail,    and    topmast-staysail. 

2 

2K 

Clewed  up  mainsail  and  trysail. 

3 

2 

4 

iK 

5 

i>i 

SE 

6 

ij< 

7 

iK 

Light  wind,  drizzly,  wet. 

8 

M 

9 

•0 

c 

0 
Z 

sw 

2 

Clewed  up  foresail,  lowered  topsail  on  caps  be- 
cause of  little  wind. 

10 

2 

II 

2 

E  swell.  From  9  o'clock  until  3:20  we  allowed 
li  knot  to  S. 

12 

2 

I 

2 

2 

2 

3 

Va 

wsw 

SME 

I  'j 

Light  wind;  set  topsails. 

4 

H 

I  ', 

Cloudy,  atmosphere  heavy. 

5 

ssw 

w 

iji 

6 

34 

sw 

WNW 

I  M 

Set  foresail  and  trysail. 

7 

I 

sw/s 

W/N 

iM 

Hauled  up  mainsail,  set  jib  and  staysails. 

8 

iH 

ssw 

w 

9 

ij^ 

W  "4  N 

10 

2 

sw 

WNW 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy. 

II 

ifl 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

12 

i^i 

sw/w 

NW  /W 

Light  wind,  weather  as  before. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

IK  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

6 
3 

0: 

to  a 
c 

'r\  0 

« 

c  c 

J3 

s 

3 

§ 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

WNW 

9''32'W 

22 

N 
4.9' 

W 

21.3 

36' 

S3°0' 

373  K 

E 

0°I2'N 

4i°i9' 

HEAD  WINDS  ALONG  53rd  PARALLEL 

If  August  13,  1 7 41.     After  Midday 


123 


3 
0 

0 

e 

■0 
c 

3 
0 

u 

I 

K 

SW 

WNW 

Ligiit   wind,   cloudy;   carrying   topsails,   foresails, 
mainsail,  trysail,  jib.  and  topmast-staysail. 

2 

I 

SW  /S 

WiN 

3 

I  'i 

ssvv 

w 

I  '4 

4 

I 

WSS 

S 

I  ''4 

sw/s 

WMN 

Topgallantsail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

6 

2'A 

W/N 

I'A 

Topsail  wind. 

7 

3 

ssw 

W  ■ ,  N 

Took  a  reef  in  topsails. 

8 

2ii 
3 

9 

SW 

WNW 

Sounded  in  150  fathoms,  no  bottom. 

10 

4M 

WNW'iW 

I  !'3 

Reef-topsail  wind,  wet. 

II 

2  ■< 

S  ■ ,  E 

Made  a  starboard  tack  at  11  30. 

12 

2'i' 

I 

3 

SW  w 

S/E 

Drizzly. 

2 

2?-i 
2'A 

Hauled  down  jib. 

3 

Wind  going  down. 

4 

2  '^ 

SME 

I  '.i 

Set  jib. 

S 

4 

I'A 

6 

2 

WNWMW 

Came  about  on  the  port  tack  at  6:30. 

7 

2H 

8 

2,'-i 

Clear  with  passing  fog. 

9 

2K 

10 

3 

wsw 

NWKW 

At  the  end  of  the  hour  tacked  to  starboard. 

1 1 

3 

w  s 

NW/W 

I 'A 

Let  out  reef  in  main-topsail. 

12 

2 '4 

wsw 

S 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I 'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

S 
3 

5 

J  0 
tr  C 

c 

ii 

i 

c 

n 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

B 
.c 

a; 

c 

0 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

NW/W 
8»s6'W 

I9.S 

N 
8' 

W 

17.7 

28.7' 

S3°o8'!    372M 

E 
o°32'N 

40°so' 

124  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

$  Aiigtist  14,  1741.     After  Midday 


u 
3 
0 

X 

0 

c 

•0 
c 

3 
0 

0 

> 

I 

2 

w  s 

S'iW 

I K 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy. 

2 

2 'A 

iM 

Carrying  topsails,  staysails,  foresail,  mainsail, 
and  trysail. 

3 

2 

i>^ 

4 

2M 

I'A 

5 

2^i 

w 

s/w;.iw 

iM 

Foggy  and  wet. 

6 

2K 

ij-i 

SW  swell. 

7 

2!-3 

\v  s 

I   ■'2 

8 

2 

Took  a  reef  in  main-topsail. 

9 

2>^ 

I'A 

10 

2 

s/w 

I'A 

II 

2K 

I'A 

Cloudy. 

12 

2M 

I'A 

Stars  out. 

I 

2  i^i 

I'A 

2 

2M 

3 

2  5-4 

w 

S/WKW 

Topsail  wind,  drizzly,  wet. 

4 

2!4 

I  A 

S 

2 

ssw 

I'A 

Let  out  reef  in  main-topsail. 

6 

i!4 

2 

7 

I  '4 

S/WKW 

Lowered  jib. 

8 

I 

wsw 

s 

Thick  wet  fog. 

9 

2 'A 

w 

S/W'AW 

2 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

10 

2% 

2 

II 

iK 

SSW 

2 

Lowered  two  cannon  with  their  carriages  into 
the  hold;  topgallantsail  wind. 

12 

2 

Drizzly. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

,0 

a 

3 

X 

1^ 

c 

1^  M 

a 

c  s 
—  n  m 

J3 

E 

3 
Si 

'A 

60 

§ 

By   Dead 
Reckoning 

SAV 
I°I3'W 

SI 

S 

49.8' 

w 

II 

18' 

S2°l8''    372K 

E 
i°23'S 

40°32' 

HEAD  WINDS  ALONG  53rd  PARALLEL 
y^  August  15,  1741.     After  Midday 


X25 


3 
0 

X 

1 

T3 

c 

1 

3 
0 

I 

iK 

wsw 

s 

I  J-a 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy,  wet. 

2 

2;-4 

sw  /w 

NW/WMW 

Tacked  to  port. 

3 

2K 

I 

Carrying     topsails,     foresail,     mainsail,     trysail, 
jib.  and  topmast-staysail. 

4 

2  J'i 

NW/W 

S 

2  !  4 

wsw 

NW'iVV 

Fog.  wet. 

6 

3 

NW 

I 

7 

I  '5 

NWHN 

8 

4>J 

w 

S/WMW 

Starboard  tack. 

9 

2,' 4 

I 

10 

3 

Light  wind. 

II 

2K 

SSW 

12 

2K 

r 

Drizzly,  wet. 

I 

3K 

2 

2K 

3 

2M 

4 

2M 

2;^ 

I  J'a 

Let  out  a  reef  in  topsails. 

S 

6 

2  '4 

7 

iK 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

8 

I  /'4 

2 

0 

I 'A 

10 

3 

w/s 

NW'i.M 

Topsail  wind,  fog.  wet. 

II 

2K 

I 

12 

2K 

SW  swell. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours                                    ]               From  Vaua 

.a 
E 

3 

5 

c 

53 

^0 

c 

0,2 

Lat. 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

.a 

S 
3 

§ 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

sw  /w 

3"'2I'W 

26 

s 
13.2' 

W 

22.5 

3S.8' 

S2°05'     366K 

E 
I°S6'S 

39°  S6' 

126  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

{^  August  i6,  1 741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

X 

0 

c 

1 

2 

3 
0 

u 

I 

2M 

wsw 

NW 

I 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy,  wet;  carrying  all  sails 
except  main-staysail  and  trysail. 

2 

3 

3 

J 

3 '4 

sw/w 

NW/W 

4 

S 

3  "4 

WNW>iN 

Hauled  down  jib. 

6 

3;-4 

7 

2 

8 

3 

Reef-topsail  wind. 

9 

2K 

10 

2 -"'4 

iK 

II 

2 

wsw 

NW 

iJi 

12 

2  J  i 

Hi 

Sounded  but  did  not  strike  bottom. 

I 

2;j 

NW'.jN 

I'j 

2 

2'-i 

NW 

II^ 

Hauled  up  jib. 

3 

2  '4 

sw/w 

NW  /W 

I  H 

Let  out  a  reef  in  main-topsail. 

4 

2 

sw 

WNW 

I"i 

5 

2 

WNWH'N 

I  Vi 

Topsail  wind. 

6 

3^ 

I 'A 

Reef -topsail  wind,  fog,  wet;  took  a  reef  in  main- 
topsail. 

7 

3 

8 

2M 

9 

3 

WNW 

Hauled  down  jib. 

10 

3 

Clear,  chilly. 

II 

2M 

WMN 

12 

2K 

W/N 

I'A 

Sounded  in  90  fatnoms,  no  bottom. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'/i  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

E 

3 

.JO 

to  C 

c 

e  c 

Si 

E 

3 

CO 

c 
0 
J 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

NNW 
7  °o6'W 

62.3 

N 
54-2' 

W 
30.8 

50.3' 

S2''S9'.     3S3J4 

E 
o"'i2'N 

39°o6' 

HEAD  WINDS  ALONG  53rd  PARALLEL 

^  August  17,  1741.     After  Midday 


127 


s 
0 

S 

0 

c 

B 
5 

2 

a 
0 
0 

n 
J 

I 

3'> 

s\\  s 

W/N 

Reef -topsail  wind,  fog,  wet. 

2 

3"4 

svv 

WNVVJaW 

Carrying  reef-topsails,  foresail,  mainsail,  trysail, 
and  staysails. 

3 

3 '3 

4 

3"; 

sw/s 

W/N 

5 

2li 

6 

2  'a 

sw 

WNVVJjW 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

7 

Hauled  down  staysails. 

8 

WNW 

Furled  topsails,  strong  gale. 

9 

-^ 

sw/w 

S/E'iE 

s 

Reefed  foresail  and  mainsail  and  hove  to  under 
mainsail,  trysail,  furled  foresail. 

lo 

s 

Coming  up  to  S,  falling  off  to  SE  by  S. 

II 

5 

12 

5 

I 

I  ', 

S'AV 

5 

Real  storm. 

2 

I  '4 

w/s 

5 

Coming  up  to  SSW,  falling  off  to  S  by  E. 

3 

I  "'4 

5 

4 

I'i 

5 

Cloudy. 

S 

iH 

w 

SSW 

5 

6 

I '4 

5 

Coming  up  to  SW  by  S,  falling  off  to  S  by  W. 

7 

^ 

W  /N 

SSW!4W 

5 

Coming  up  to  SW,  falling  off  to  S  by  W. 

8 

5 

9 

I'i 

WNW 

SW^jS 

5 

Coming  up  to  SW  by  W,  falling  off  to  SSW. 

10 

I'j 

S 

Gale,  cloudy. 

II 

I  "j 

5 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

12 

I  "j 

5 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iJ-3  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

3 

a: 

^0 

X  c 
c 

ii 

e 

si 

CO 

B  B 

—  n  jj 

6 
3 

X 

B 
0 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

w 

7.0 

0' 

W 

7.0 

11.7' 

S2°S9' 

35 1 K 

E 

0°I2'N 

38°S4' 

128  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

(^  August  i8,  1741.     After  Midday 


u 

a 
0 

a 

0 

c 

3 
0 

>, 

a 

i! 
-J 

I 

I 

WNW 

SWMS 

sy^ 

Gale,  clear  with  passing  clouds;  carrying  main- 
sail. 

2 

I 

5K 

3 

I 

S'A 

Reefed  trysail.ss 

4 

M 

S'A 

Coming  up  to  SW  by  W,  falling  off  to  SSW. 

s 

H 

SA 

Wind  falling  off,  heavy  SW  swell. 

6 

•A 

S'A 

7 

I  M 

W 

SSWMW 

3 

Hauled  up  fore  and  main-topsails  reefed. 

8 

I  'A 

3 

9 

iH 

SSW 

3 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy. 

10 

I H 

3 

II 

I'A 

w  s 

S/VV^iW 

3 

Moon  out. 

12 

I 

3 

I 

iK 

2 

Set  fore-topsail. 

2 

2 

2 

Hauled  up  topmast-staysail. 

3 

2 

2 

4 

iK 

2 

Topgallantsail  wind,  heavy  swell. 

S 

iM 

s/w 

2 

Cloudy. 

6 

iK 

lA 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

7 

2 

lA 

Set  jib. 

8 

iM 

iA 

9 

2 

SSW 

iK 

Five  men  on  the  sick  list. 

10 

2J< 

sw 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

II 

2 

SWHW 

Lowered  into  the  hold  two  cannons  with  their 
carriages. 

12 

2 

The  assistant  constable,  Roselius,  reported  that 
all  is  well  in  the  powder  magazine.  Took  an 
observation:  zenith  distance  42°4o',  declination 
of  sun  9°37',  latitude  52°I7'.66 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

lA  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours                                   1               From  Vuaa 

£1 
S 

S 

J  0 

c 

is 

-0 

Lat. 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

B 

By 

Observation 

S/W 

2°20'W 

42.7 

S 
42' 

W 

8.5 

14.4' 

S2°I7'i     3S3'A 

E 
l''30'S 

38°40' 

65  Khitrov's  journal :     "Hove  to." 

M  Khitrov's  journal  gives  latitude  by  observation  52  "07'. 


HEAD  WINDS  ALONG  53rd  PARALLEL 

^  August  iQ,  1741.     After  Midday 


129 


3 
0 

0 

S 

•0 

c 

3 
0 

U 

>. 

a 

Si 

I 

iM 

WNW 

sw 

iM 

Topgallantsail    wind,   clear   with    passing   clouds. 

2 

iK 

i>i 

Carrying  topsails,  foresails,  mainsails,  trysail, 
jib,  and  topmast-staysail. 

3 

iM 

i>^ 

4 

ly* 

W/N 

sw/s 

I  Va 

Let  out  reefs  in  foresail  and  mainsail. 

s 

iM 

I  K 

N  swell. 

6 

ij< 

WNW 

SWMS 

I,' J 

7 

iM 

W 

ssw 

2 

Took  a  reef  in  fore- topsail. 

8 

>^ 

w/s 

NNW;-,W 

2 

Tacked  to  port  at  8:30. 

9 

I 

w 

NNW 

2 

Hauled  down  jib. 

10 

I 

2 

II 

K 

wsvv 

NW 

2 

Light  wind. 

12 

K 

sw/w 

NWMW 

2 

Drizzly  and  rainy. 

I 

>^ 

2 

2 

'A 

3 

u 

Clewed  up  mainsail  and  trysail. 

4 

I 

E 

W  /S 

Lowered  staysail. 

5 

2M 

w 

Topgallantsail  wind,  rain. 

6 

3}i 

W 

Set  mainsail. 

7 

S .'  4' 

Hauled  up  fore-topmast-staysail,  set  trysail. 

8 

S>a 

NE 

9 

5^i 

Reef-topsail  wind;  let  out  reef  in  fore-topsail, 
hauled  up  spritsail  and  jib. 

10 

SK 

II 

5 'A 

12 

4 

NNE 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

\'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

[              From  Vaua 

.a 
3 

"  a 
c 

ij 

c 

i 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

E 

3 
Si 
Oi 

0 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

W/N 

I°2I'W 

43.6 

N 
7-4' 

w 

43 

66' 

S2°24' 

342  M 

E 
i°i6'S 

37°34' 

I30 


LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

'l/   August  20,  1741.     After  Midday 


0 

0 

c 

•a 
c 

2 
p 
0 

I 

3M 

NNE 

w 

Topsail   wind,   clear   with   passing   clouds;   carry- 
ing all  sails. 

2 

IK 

3 

iK 

I 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

4 

iK 

NW/N 

w/s 

I 

5 

iK 

I 

Furled  spritsail. 

6 

1^4 

WSWMW 

I 

Sounded  in  180  fathoms,  no  bottom. 

7 

iM 

8 

M 

K 

i^ 

^1 

NNW 

2 

Heavy  SW  swell. 

9 

2 

10 

2 

Sounded,  no  bottom. 

II 

I 

sw/w 

NW/W 

iM 

12 

I  K 

iV, 

Light  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

I 

2 

wsw 

NW 

iK 

Topgallantsail  wind  and  unsteady. 

2 

2  .'-4 

w 

NNW 

Passing  clouds. 

3 

i5i 

4 

I  K 

W/N 

N/W 

S 

I '4 

w 

NNW 

iK 

Wind  and  weather  as  before. 

6 

i^^ 

NW 

sw 

iM 

Tacked  to  starboard. 

7 

I 

NW/W 

SW/W 

iK 

8 

I  5-4 

iM 

9 

iM 

WNW 

SWMW 

iK 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy. 

10 

I  !-^ 

iK 

Passing  clouds. 

II 

I 

sw 

I  '-4 

SW  swell. 

12 

I  J< 

W/N 

sw/s 

I  M 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

114  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

J3 

E 

3 

Si 

OS 

i 

B  C 

J3 

E 

a 

§ 
►J 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

W/N 

2°23'N 

21 

N 
4-9' 

W 
20.2 

33.8' 

52°29' 

337K 

E 

i°04'S 

37°o' 

HEAD  WINDS  ALONG  53rd  PARALLEL 
$  August  21,  I74I-     After  Midday 


131 


u 
3 
0 

1 

C 

•0 

i 

0 

u 

>, 

I 

I 

vv 

ssw 

I'A 

Light    wind,    cloudy,    heavy    SW   swell;    carrying 
topsails,   foresail,   mainsail,   trysail,   and   topmast 
staysail. 

2 

1J4 

1% 

3 

2 

ssw ; ,  w 

iM 

4 

i?i 

W/N 

sw/s 

I'A 

S 

I  J» 

w 

ssw 

I'A 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

6 

I 

S/WHW 

-L'A 

Drizzly. 

7 

I?4 

WNW 

N 

I'A 

Tacked  to  port. 

8 

2!-^ 

NW 

wsw 

iM 

Tacked  to  starboard. 

9 

2. '4 

wsw  ■ ,  s 

iVi 

Took  reef  in  topsails. 

10 

I  .'4 

I  A 

II 

I 

W/N 

sw  /s 

I  'i 

Light  and  shifting  wind. 

12 

'j 

W 

ssw 

I  'A 

Sounded,  no  bottom. 

I 

I 
2  !i 

S   W'.W 

i;. 

2 

N/W>jW 

iji. 

Tacked  to  port. 

3 

4 

i^i 

Hauled  down  jib. 

4 

I  '3 

SSW'^W 

I  'A 

Starboard  tack  at  4:30. 

5 

I'i 

W/N 

sw  /S 

I'A 

6 

I 

W 

S/WiW 

I  i-^ 

Light  wind  and  unsteady,  drizzly,  wet. 

7 

2 'A 

w/s 

NNWHW 

Port  tack. 

8 

2Va 

NW/N 

Topsail  wind. 

9 

2  \-i 

w 

SSW 

I'A 

Starboard  tack. 

10 

2'^ 

NNWJiW 

Port  tack. 

II 

Hi 

w/s 

NW'iN 

12 

2 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy,  SW  swell. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

Si 

S 

^0 
35  c 

c 

ti 

c 

a 

c  c 

—  rt  or; 

S 
3 

M 
C 
0 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

W 
4°i6'S 

13. 5 

S 
l' 

w 

13-4 

21' 

S2°28' 

33A'A 

E 

i°07'S 

36°39' 

132  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

F^   August  22,  J 74 1.     After  Midday 


u 

3 
0 

0 

c 

X) 

c 

3 
0 
U 

i 

• 

I 

3K 

WSW 

NW 

Topsail  wind,  drizzly,  wet. 

2 

2H 

Carrying  topsails,  foresail,  mainsail,  trysail,  and 
staysails. 

3 

2)4 

sw/w 

NWMW 

I 

4 

3% 

SW  swell. 

5 

2yt 

NW/W 

6 

2  3/4 

sw 

NW/WMW 

7 

3 

sw/w 

NWMW 

I 

Reef-topsail  wind,  drizzly,  wet. 

8 

3 

I 'A 

9 

4 

I  '-5 

1° 

I>2 

w/s 

S>4W 

I>^ 

Light  wind,  sounded  but  no  bottom,  starboard 
tack. 

II 

I 

S  W 

SM 

Furled  sails  and  hove  to  under  mainsail  and 
trysail  because  of  darkness  and  danger. 

12 

Coming  up  to  SSW.  falling  off  to  S. 

I 

I 

w 

S'-3 

2 

iM 

WSW 

NW>iN 

Set  topsails,  foresail,  and  staysails;  tacked  to 
port. 6' 

3 

2 

NW/N 

I 

4 

2K 

NWMN 

I 

Sounded,  no  bottom. 

S 

2M 

I 

6 

T.V, 

w/s 

NW/N 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy. 

7 

I 

WNW 

N/WMW 
SW 

iM 

Came  about  on  starboard  tack  at  7:30. 

8 

NW/W 

SW/W 

I  '3 

Let  out  reefs  in  topsail. 

9 

iK 

WNW 

SW 

I  "2 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

lO 

2 

NW/W 

SWKW 

I  }'i 

II 

iK 

I  'i' 

SW  swell. 68 

12 

2  M 

WNW 

SW 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

X'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

S! 

E 
3 

*:  0 
m  c 

c 

i2 

c 

a 

►J 

c  c 
*j  c:3 

QO 

.0 
E 

3 

Ml 
§ 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

NW/N 
I°47'W 

32.7 

N 

26.6' 

W 
19 

31' 

S2°S5' 

326K 

E 
o°o3'N 

36°o8' 

6' Khitrov's  journal:  "At  the  beginning  of  this  hour  we  got  under  way  again  and 
tacked  to  port." 

68  Khitrov's  journal:  "On  sick  list,  two  sailors,  two  grenadiers,  two  marines,  one 
Siberian  soldier." 


HEAD  WINDS  ALONG  53rd  PAR.ALLEL 

{v)   August  23,  1741.     After  Midday 


133 


u 
a 
0 

0 

c 

•0 

1 

3 

0 

0 

>> 

I 

2  J-i 

WNW 

sw 

iK 

Reef-topsail    wind,     clear    with    passing    clouds; 
took  a  reef  in  topsails. 

2 

2H 

iK 

3 

2  Ji 

1)4 

4 

2>i 

iK 

S 

2j^ 

NW/W 

sw/w 

W  swell. 

6 

2M 

iK 

7 

2ii 

SWMW 

2 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

8 

2 

2 

Q 

iVi 

2 

Topgallantsail  wind  and  unsteady. 

10 

IM 

WNW 

sw 

2 

Heavy  SW  swell. 

II 

2K 

W  /N 

SSWHW 

iVi 

12 

2 

W 

ssw 

2 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

I 

I  ;-3 

w  s 

NNW'.W 

Tacked  to  port. 

2 

iH 

wsw 

NW'jN 

I  'j 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

3 

iK 

NW 

4 

2 

sw 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy. 

S 

3 

sw/s 

NWMW 

Topsail  wind,  drizzly,  wet. 

6 

2j^ 

NW/W 

7 

2M 

ssw 

Let  out  third  reef  in  topsails. 

8 

2K 
3« 

9 

WNW 

10 

4;-4 

Topsail  wind,  drizzly,  rainy. 

II 

4 

sw/s 

WNWKW 

J^ 

12 

4 

sw  /w 

NW/W 

Took  a  reef  in  topsail,  weather  as  before. 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

of 

Compass 

IJ4  rhumb  E 

J2 
C 

5 

JO 

T,    C 

c 

a 

c 

.J 

2 

3 

s: 

B 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

W  /N 
4°59'W 

.^8 

N 
6.1' 

W 

37.4 

61' 

S3°oi' 

3I7J4 

E 
o'lg'N 

3S°07' 

134  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

(2  August  24,  1741.     After  Midday 


0 

0 

0 

c 

■0 
c 

2 

3 
0 

u 

a 
t 

I 

4>4 

sw/w 

NW/W 

I 

Topsail  wind. 

2 

4M 

I 

Took  two  reefs  in  fore-topsail. 

3 

A% 

NW/W!iW 

I 

4 

4 

I 

Reef-topsail  wind;  reefed  mainsail  and  foresail, 
hauled  down  jib. 

5 

4>i 

I 

6 

4"< 

I 

Took  two  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

7 

3K 

sw 

• 

I 

Sounded  in  90  fathoms,  no  bottom. 

8 

4 

9 

iK 

SSE 

2 

Starboard  tack. 

10 

IK 

2 

Because  it  was  not  safe  to  go  fast  at  night  we 
clewed  up  the  mainsail  and  hauled  down  the 
staysails. 

II 

IM 

2 

12 

IK 

Sounded  in  90  fathoms,  no  bottom 

I 

3 

2 

3'i 

SSE  !  J  E 

I  >i 

At  end  of  the  hour  tacked  to  port. 

3 

3K 

ssw 

W 

I 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

4 

3K 

I 

S 

3K 

I 

Heavy  rain. 

6 

3'A 

sw/s 

W/N 

I 

Reef-topsail  wind  and  unsteady. 

7 

4 

sw/w 

NW/W,'4W 

I 

8 

4 

I 

Took  two  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

9 

3M 

NWAV 

I 

Sun  out;  took  three  reefs  in  topsails. 

10 

3K 

sw 

WNW 

I 

II 

I 

Nw;iW 

5,'i 

Reef-undersail  wind,  furled  sails  and  hove  to 
under  mainsail  and  trysail. 

12 

I 

From  II  to  12,  coming  up  to  WNW,  falling 
off  to  NW  by  N.69 

I 

n  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

of 

Compass 

iH  rhumb  E 

Si 

g 

Ji 

T,  c 

3-J 

5,2 

3      j 

! 

J3 

E 

3 

X 

c 
0 
.J 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

NW/N 

S°22'W 

49-6 

N 
38.S' 

W 
31.3 

S3' 

S3°39' 

307 

E 
2°o6'N 

34oi4 

69  Khitrov's  journal  gives  an  observation  for  latitude,  S3°37', 


HEAD  WINDS  ALONG  53rd  PAR.\LLEL 

J'  August  25,  1741-     After  Midday 


135 


0 
X 

0 
c 

C 
5 

3 

0 

'•J 

>. 

a 

I 

I 

I', 

wsw 

SME 

SH 

Gale,  clear  with  passing  clouds.'o 

2 

I'A 

Si-J 

Carrying  trysail  and  main-staysail. 

3 

I '4 

S'A 

Heavy  squalls  and  waves  wash  over  the  deck. 

4 

I ;  4 

5'A 

s 

I  H 

5'A 

Coming  up  to  S  by  W.  falling  off  to  SSE. 

6 

I'/i 

SK 

7 

'rh 

w  s 

S'iW 

5!^ 

8 

SVi 

9 

i'< 

5'A 

Gale,  squalls. 

10 

iji 

5H 

II 

i!i 

S^^ 

Clear  and  chilly. 

12 

l!4 

3 '4 

Coming  up  to  SSW,  falling  off  to  S  by  E. 

1 

1^4 

5  H 

2 

Til 

5'j 

Rain. 

3 

S!i 

4 

I. "4 

S  M 

S 

I  '4 

w 

S /\V  ' , W 

Gale  and  heavy  sea. 

6 

l!-4 

S!-4 

Hauled  down  main-staysail,  set  up  mainsaiL 

7 

I  '/* 

SH 

Wind  going  down. 

8 

Hi 

SVi 

9 

1% 

55^ 

Coming  up  to  S\V  by  S.  falling  off  to  S. 

10 

iK 

71 

II 

i!4 

Strong    reef-undersail    wind,    clear    with    passing 
clouds;  began  to  count    ili    rhumb   as  the   varia- 
tion of  compass. 

12 

iK 

In  24  hours 

From  V'aua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iM  rhumb  E 

3 

»  c 

c 

e 

c 

a  c 

SI 

£ 

3 

i 

By    Dea'l 
Reckoning 

SE/S 
4''40'E 

29.6 

S            E 
23.2'      18.4 

30.6' 

S3°l6' 

313 

E 
l°oi'N 

34°4S' 

""  Khitrov's  journal:     "Hove  to." 

71  Khitrov's  journal  states  that  nine  were  on  the  sick  list. 


136  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  August  26,  1741.     After  Midday 


u 
3 
0 

X 

0 
c 

•0 
c 

3 

a 
I 

I 

W 

s/w 

SK 

Strong   undersail   wind,   squalls,   clear  with  pass- 
ing clouds. 

2 

SM 

Carrying    mainsail    and    trysail;    coming    up    to 
SW  by  S.  falling  off  to  S  by  E. 

3 

SK 

4 

SK 

5 

y. 

w/s 

SMW 

SK 

Wind   falling   off.    passing   clouds;   coming   up   to 
SSW,  falling  oflf  S  by  E. 

6 

« 

5M 

7 

K 

5^ 

S 

% 

5;-^ 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy. 

9 

y. 

5H 

10 

>i 

5K 

II 

K 

wsw 

NW 

At   1 1 :30  hauled  up  topsails  reefed  and  foresails 
and  made  a  port  tack.'2 

12 

iK 

NWHW 

2 

I 

2;i 

2 

2 

2V3 

2 

3 

2 

sw/w 

NWKW 

2 

Drizzly;  let  out  second  reef  in  main-topsail  and 
first  in  fore-topsail. 

4 

2M 

iK 

Hauled  up  topmast-staysail. 

5 

2K 

wsw 

NW 

iM 

Reef-topsail  wind,  cloudy. 

6 

3 

iM 

7 

2M 

iH 

Light  rain. 

8 

2;-i 

iM 

Took  second  reef  in  main-topsail. 

9 

Mi 

w  s 

NW^iN 

iH 

Took  three  reefs  in  fore-topsail. 

10 

?,% 

NW/N 

Hauled  down  staysails. 

II 

3 

w 

NNW 

Hauled     up     main-topmast-staysail;     clear     with 
heavy  passing  clouds,  SW  swell. 

12 

3H 

I 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

lyi  rhumb  E 

.a 
S 
3 

05 

JO 

—  CO 

Q-J 

-0 

°1 

0,2 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

J3 
S 

3 

By   Dead 
Reckoning 

N 
3°53'W 

29.6 

N 
29.5' 

W 

2 

3' 

S3°4S'l      311 

E 

2°2I'N 

34°42' 

'2  Khitrov's  journal:    "Got  under  way  again," 


LANDWARD  FOR  WATER 

1^  August  27,  1741.     After  Midday 


137 


% 

0 

c 

T3 

e 

2 
a 
0 
0 

i 

I 

3 

W 

N/WJ4W 

I 

Reef -topsail  wind,  clear  Nvith  passing  clouds, 
wet. 

2 

3  "i 

3 

2  J-4 

N\V   \V 

SW/W 

I  .!-3 

Starboard  tack,  squalls. 

4 

I  ^i 

WNW 

SW 

Took  third  reef  in  main-topsail. 

S 

I  'i 

sw,s 

2  K 

Hauled  down  staysails,  topsails,  and  furled. 

6 

I. '4 

2 

7 

SW 

2 

Hauled  up  main-topsails  reefed. 

8 

iH 

W/N 

SW  s 

2 

Reef-topsail  wind. 

9 

iV. 

2  'i 

Squalls  and  heavy  passing  clouds. 

10 

I  ii 

2  ') 

II 

2-V 

2  '  J 

12 

2"; 

2 

Stars  out. 

I 

I  "i 

2  '3 

Furled  main-topsail. 

2 

I, '4 

3'i 

3 

3"i 

4 

3H 

S 

iK 

2 

Set  main  and  fore-topsails  reefed. 

6 

2 

2 

7 

3 

WNW 

SWKS 

2 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

8 

3 

iM 

Hauled  up  topmast-staysail,  let  out  reef  in  top- 
sails. 

9 

2>^ 

N/WKW 

I 

Tacked  to  port.'3 

10 

4 

N 

J-j 

II 

4-'-i 

N  /E 

■j 

12 

4M 

'i 

Let  out  another  reef  in  main-topsail. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

i>i  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  V'aua 

.a 
£ 
3 

0: 

.JO 

a2. 

4 

c 

r,  0 

c  c 

'"  2  S 

1 

.5 

C 
q 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

SW 
2°07'S 

11  S 

s 
8.4' 

W 

7.8 

12.S' 

S3°37' 

310 

E 

I°59'N 

34°30' 

"'  Khitrov's  journal:     "Together   with   the    Captain    Commander    we    signed    today 
that  which  we  agreed  upon,  a  copy  of  which  is  here  attached."     (See  next  page.) 


138  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

August  27,  1741 
Decision  To  Land  In  Order  To  Take  On  Water  '♦ 
Captain  Commander  Bering,  Lieutenant  Waxel,  Fleet  Master  Khitrov,  and 
Navigator  Eselberg  met  to  talk  over  the  decision,  which  we  with  our  petty  officers 
came  to  on  August  10,  relative  to  our  returning  to  Avacha  harbor.  Our  decision 
at  the  time  to  start  back,  though  it  was  yet  early,  was  based  on  the  fear  that  west 
winds  would  begin  to  blow  and  hinder  us.  Since  then  this  has  happened,  and  now 
we  have  of  the  water  taken  in  America  only  25  barrels,  which  is  not  enough  for 
returning  to  Avacha  if  the  contrary  west  winds  continue  to  blow. 

The  American  coast  which  we  last  saw  was  between  latitude  55°  and  56°  N,  and 
according  to  our  reckoning  it  is  not  more  than  60  German  miles  from  us.  There- 
fore we,  the  undersigned,  have  unanimously  agreed  for  safety's  sake  to  go  nearer 
the  land  with  a  view  to  finding  good  anchorage  where  we  might  take  on  water 
enough  to  last  until  our  return  so  that  in  case  of  head  winds  we  should  not  suffer 
extremely. 

Bering 

Lieutenant  Waxel 
Fleet  Master  Sofron  Khitrov 
Navigator  Andreyan  Eselberg 
and  petty  officers. 
74  Khitrov's  iournal. 


LANDWARD  FOR  WATER 

$  August  28,  1 741.     After  Midday 


139 


3 
0 

X 

0 

c 

•0 
c 

'i 

3 

0 

3 

I 

3W 

W/N 

N/E 

>4 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds;  let  out  two 
reefs  in  fore-topsail. 

2 

2'A 

WNW 

SW  ■  i  s 

,!j 

3 

S 

W/N 

N/E 

I  's 

4 

5 

i'i 

Carrying  topsails,  foresail,  mainsail,  trysail,  and 
staysail. 

S 

4J'i 

;i 

Took  all  the  reefs  in  topsails. 

6 

4 

J^ 

Clear  with  heavy  passing  clouds,  squalls,  rain. 

7 

4 

>^ 

8 

3K 

W 

•A 

9 

2 

NNW 

iM 

Furled  topsails. 

10 

i^ 

Strong  and  cold  topsail  wind,  squalls,  passing  clouds 
and  rain. 

II 

3 

12 

3 

Hea\*y  passing  clouds  and  rain. 

I 

I'A 

N    W'lW 

2!-, 

2 

IK 

2' J 

During  the  night  we  heased  the  lead  but  struck  no 
bottom. 

3 

IK 

2  Ji 

4 

I  ,'-4 

W/N 

N/W 

2  H 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy. 

5 

3 

N 

2'A 

Set  topsails,  hauled  up  staysails  and  jib. 

6 

3 '4 

A 

7 

3 '4 

'A 

Let  out  all  reefs  in  topsails. 

8 

4 

lA 

9 

4 

W 

I 

Clear. 

10 

3H 

A 

II 

3 

A 

Hauled  up  spritsail. 

12 

4 

A 

Clear  with  passing  clouds.  Took  an  observation: 
zenith  distance  48°i4'.  declination  of  the  sun  s°Si'. 
latitude  54°o5',  variation  of  the  compass  i>3  rhumb 
easterly  because  at  noon  the  observation  was  S  by 

EME.'5 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours                                 !|               From  Vaua 

3 
.c 

.JO 

K   C 

a 

ij 

3 

0^ 

rt 

^ 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

.n 

S 
3 

Si 

0! 

c 
0 

By 

Observation 

NE 
2°5S'E 

41.7 

N 
28' 

E 

31 

52.7' 

S4°os' 

314M 

E 
3°I4'N 

35°23' 

"  Khitrov's  journal  gives  latitude  by  observation  S4°  07'. 


140  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

Tp   August  20,  1 741-     After  Midday 


I 

0 

c 

■a 
c 

2 

3 

o 

u 

a 
t 

I 

2y, 

W 

N 

Topgallantsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds;  carry- 
ing topsails,  staysails,  and  lower  sails. 

2 

3 

3 

3% 

sw 

4 

4 

Light  rain. 

5 

3 

Squalls,  rain;   took  a  reef  in  topsails,  furled  spritsail. 

6 

i3< 

7 

3K 

ssw 

8 

3 

Wind  freshening;  took  two  and  three  reefs  in  topsails. 

9 

3 

lO 

>i 

Heavy  passing  clouds;  furled  foresail  and  topsails 
and  hove  to  under  trysail  and  main-staysail  because 
of  the  night  time. 

II 

I^j 

12 

2 

Clewed  up  tr>sail. 

I 

iM 

2 

iM 

sw 

During  the  night  we  sounded  with  a  90  fathom  lead 
line  but  found  no  bottom. 

3 

ij< 

4 

J4 

Sounded  in  75  fathoms,  bottom  of  sand,  clay,  and  in 
places  gravel. 

S 

iH 

NW/N 

Topgallantsail  wind,  heavy  passing  clouds. 

6 

3X 

wsw 

NW 

Sounded  and  got  73  fathoms,  .set  the  foresail  and  top- 
sails, and  let  out  a  reef  in  each. 

7 

3% 

8 

3% 

sw 

Let  out  two  and  three  reefs  in  topsails,  sighted 
many  islands  of  which  the  most  easterly  was  NE 
about  6  German  miles. '6 

9 

3 

Depth  65  fathoms.  The  easterly  island  bore  NW  by 
N  about  4  German  miles." 

lO 

4K 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds;  depth  ss. 
SO,  45  fathoms,  sandy  bottom. 

II 

IM 

w 

N/EHE 

12 

2 

Light  wind,  weather  as  before;  depth  the  same. 
The  easterly  island  bears  NE  by  E  s  German  miles, 
the  westerly  island  WNWjiW  2'A  German  miles; 
between  them  are  5  or  6  islands  which  seem  to  be 
neither  very  high  nor  very  large.'s 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

1%  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

S3 

£ 

3 

JO 

g 

i 

c  c 
—  a  00 

5^^ 

X! 

E 

3 

tig 

J 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

N 
3°S7'E 

54 

N 
S3. 7' 

E 

3.7 

S.8' 

S4°S9' 

314M 

E 

5°5o'N 

3S°29' 

78  Shumagin  Islands.  Khitrov's  journal:    "Saw  many  islands  of  which  the  southern- 
most bore  NE." 

"  Khitrov's  journal:  "Looked  for  islands  toward  the  N;  the  last  bore  NW  by  N." 

'8  Khitrov's  journal:  "Southernmost  island  NE  by  E.  Northernmost  WNW.!<W." 


LANDING  ON  SHUMAGIN  ISLANDS  141 

(^  August  30,  1741.     After  Midday 


0 

0 

c 

•0 

c 

3 

I 

I 'A 

W,S 

NNE 

Light  wind,  clear;  carrying  all  sails  except  spritsail 
and  main-staysail.  On  sounding  we  got  from  40  to 
IS  fathoms. 

2 

2 

3 

N 

I  was  sent  in  the  yawl  into  a  small  bay  about  'A 
mile  from  us." 

4 

I  Vi 

I 

W 

so 

5 

That  bay  does  not  offer  safe  anchorage  because  of 
the  rocks  and  gravelly  bottom.*' 

6 

2 

NME 

1  was  sent  again  on  the  same  boat  to  find  anchorage 
in  the  strait  between  the  islands. 

7 

I 

NNE 

82 

8 

$ 

Dropped  the  small  bower  anchor  among  the  islands 
in  20  fathoms  of  water.  It  was  not  safe  to  go  farther 
because  of  the  darkness.  For  the  same  reason  we 
could  not  get  our  bearings.  I  returned  to  the  ship 
and  reported  that  I  found  a  good  place  for  anchor- 
ing which  was  secure  from  many  winds  and  had  a 
good  bottom  and  was  less  than  M  mile  from  us. 

9 

10 



II 

We  made  ready  the  spare  anchor  in  case  of  need. 

12 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

I 



\V 

Light  wind,  cloudy  and  chilly. 

2 

3 

Fire  on  an  island  NNE  about  i  M  mile  away .83 

4 

S 

We  sent  the  longboat  in  charge  of  the  navigator  with 
10  casks  to  bring  fresh  water. 

6 

7 

The  navigator  returned  and  reported  that  he  found 
a  lake  about  100  fathoms  from  shore.  We  took  on 
board  the  lo  full  casks  and  sent  back  i6  empty  casks. 
At  this  hour  we  took  the  bearings  of  the  island  where 
we  were  at  anchor  ;S4  one  point  of  the  large  island 
bore  SKW  2  miles,  the  second  point  N  by  E  iH 
mile,  the  small  island  with  its  projections  NEME 
I  A  mile.  The  small  but  high  island  near  us  bore 
E  by  S  I4  mile  or  M  mile.  The  boat  returned  from 
shore  with  10  barrels  of  water. 

8 

9 

10 

II 

Khitrov  went  in  the  boat  to  the  island  on  which  fire 
was  seen,  and  with  him  went  the  constable,  one 
sailor,  one  cannoneer,  one  interpreter,  one  armed 
soldier.  The  Captain  Commander  gave  them  in- 
structions what  to  do  and  in  addition  gave  them 
various  articles  such  as  tobacco,  small  bells,  boxes, 
needles,  red  cloth,  mirrors,  and  knives.ss 

12 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

i>i  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

E 

Si 

JO 
•n  C 

a 

i 

c  c 

—  n  "J 
jE.-= 

DO 

J2 

a 

Bi 

c 

0 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

NNE 
4''33'E 

10.6 

N 

94' 

E 
4.8 

7.7' 

SS°o8' 

i^VA 

E 
6°o6'N 

35  "37' 

{Footnotes  79-85  at  bottom  of  next  page.) 


142  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  August  31,  1 7 41.     After  Midday 


u 

3 
0 

0 

c 

•a 

c 

3 
0 

U 

Si 

I 

s/w 

Light  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds;  10  more  casks 
of  water  brought  on  board;  the  sick  were  taken 
ashore. 

2 

3 

4 

SE/S 

Light  rain. 

5 

The  boat  returned  with  10  more  casks  of  water. 

6 

7 

SE 

10  empty  casks  sent  ashore. 

8 

9 

10 

s 

The  quartermaster  returned  to  the  ship  with  10  more 
casks  and  reported  that  the  sailor  NiKita  Shumagin 
died  on  shore.  He  was  buried  on  the  island,  which 
was  named  Shumagin  after  him.se  The  small  boat 
was  tied  astern. 

II 

12 

I 

2 

3 

31  casks  were  filled. 

4 

During  the  night  we  had  a  lantern  on  the  gaff  so 
Khitrov  could  see  it. 

S 

SE 

Sent  the  boat  for  more  water. 

6 

E 

7 

II  more  casks  were  brought  from  shore. 

8 

9 

Sent  10  empty  casks  ashore. 

10 

Wind  freshening,  payed  out  H  of  a  cable. 

II 

10  more  casks  taken  on  board  with  which  we  filled 
the  casks  in  the  hold. 

12 

86  Khitrov's  journal:  "He  was  buried  on  the  island,  and  over  his  grave  a  wooden 
cross  was  erected."  The  name  Shumagin  is  now  given  to  the  whole  group  of  islands,  £ind 
the  island  which  used  to  be  called  Shumagin  is  now  known  as  Nagai. 

Footnotes  to  Log  of  August  30 

^  Khitrov's  journal:  "Lowered  the  small  yawl  and  sent  the  assistant  navigator  in 
search  of  good  anchorage." 

80  Khitrov's  journal:  "Took  in  all  sail,  dropped  the  anchor  in  24  fathoms,  and 
payed  out  ii  cable.  The  assistant  navigator  returned  and  reported  that  he  failed  to 
find  a  good  place  to  anchor.     Put  over  the  longboat  into  the  water." 

8'  Khitrov's  journal:  "Weighed  anchor,  set  sails,  and  steered  between  the  islands 
into  the  bay,  getting  as  we  went  along  24,  25,  20,  is  fathoms,  bottom  gravelly  and 
shelly." 

82  Khitrov's  journal:  "Went  in  tow;  and,  when  we  came  within  '/i  mile  of  one  of 
the  islands,  we  anchored  in  20  fathoms  and  payed  out  yi  cable.  Because  of  the  fog  we 
could   not  get   our   bearings." 

83  Khitrov's  journal:  "Saw  a  fire  on  one  of  the  islands  about  214  miles  away  on  the 
rhumb  NNE." 

8*  Between  Near  Island  and  Nagai  Island.  This  anchorage  is  marked  on  Khitrov's 
map,  reproduced  in  Fig.  11,  by  an  inverted  anchor  at  the  19  and  20  fathom  soundings. 
Khitrov's  journal:  "When  fog  cleared  it  was  possible  to  get  bearings:  the  southern  point 
of  the  large  island  bore  S|^W;  the  northern  point  of  the  same  island  bore  N  by  E;  the 
small  island  with  its  projections  N  by  E^E;  the  southern  point  of  the  island  where  we 
are  at   anchor  bore  E  by  S." 

8*  Khitrov's  journal:  "Captain  Commander  sent  me  to  the  island  on  which  fire 
was  seen  and  which  is  from  us  NNE.  In  case  I  found  human  beings  I  was  told  to  be 
kind  to  them  and  was  given  for  distribution  various  presents,  namely  J-i  pound  Chinese 
tobacco,  s  copper  oclls,  160  beads,  20  needles,  2  arshins  red  material,  5  small  mirrors, 
and  5  knives.  I  went  in  the  small  yawl  and  took  with  me  i  assistant  constable,  1  sailor, 
I  cannoneer,  i  soldier,  i  Chukchi,  and  i  Koriak  interpreter." 


LANDING  ON  SHUMAGIN  ISLANDS  143 

(^    September  i,  1741.     After  Midday 


5 
X 

1 

■3 
C 

a 
0 

0 

>> 

t 

I 

E/N 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

2 

3 

Boat  sent  ashore  with  empty  casks. 

4 

ENE 

Wind  freshening;  tightened  the  topmast  shrouds 
because  they  were  weak,  greased  the  topmasts,  over- 
hauled the  ropes.    The  boat  returned  with  the  water. 

S 

6 

Altogether  we  have  taken  on  52  casks  of  water.  The 
boat  was  sent  back  for  the  sick  and  others  who  were 
ashore,  and  when  it  returned  we  took  it  on  deck  and 
lashed  it  secure. 

7 

8 

9 

10 

Storm;    made  ready  the  best  bower  anchor. 

II 

12 

I 

NE 

Gale. 

2 

3 

4 

The  yawl  on  which  Khitrov  went  has  not  returned, 
probably  because  it  could  not  get  off  shore. 

S 

6 

Heavy  fog,  wet;   had  a  lantern  on  the  gaff  all  night. 

7 

8 

12  men  on  the  sick  list. 

9 

Gale  blowing. 

10 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails;  and  furled  on  the  yards, 
reefed  foresail,  and  made  ready  for  whatever  might 
come. 

II 

12 

3  inches  of  water  in  the  hold. 

144  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  September  2,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 

0 

0 
c 

•a 

c 

1 

5 

a 
t 

I 

NE 

Reef-topsail  wind,  cloudy  and  rainy. 

2 

3 

4 

Wind  going  down. 

5 

4  inches  of  water  in  the  hold. 

6 

7 

8 

Wind  comes  in  gusts. 

9 

10 



Squally. 

II 

12 

I 

2 

3 

E 

Unsteady  wind. 

4 

Began  to  warp  the  anchor  because  it  was  dangerous 
to  remain  where  we  were. 

S 

SE 

6 

Weighed  anchor,  set  the  sails,  and  started  for  the 
island  in  order  to  protect  ourselves  from  the  wind. 
From  6  o'clock  until  8:20  we  sounded  as  we  went 
along  and  got  20,  17,  15,  13  fathoms;  rhumb  E  by 
NJ^N;  advanced  J<  of  a  German  mile. 

7 

Thick  wet  fog. 

8 

Dropped  anchor  in  16  fathoms,  87  took  in  the  sails, 
payed  out  H  oi  a  cable;  bottom  sandy.  Because 
of  the  fog  could  not  get  the  bearings. 

9 

10 

Put  over  the  boat  into  the  water,  sea  going  down. 

II 

12 

SSE 

Sent  the  boat  ashore  for  Khitrov.89 

8J  This  second  anchorage  is  the  one  marked  on  Khitrov's  map  (Fig.  11)  by  an  anchor 
lying  on  its  side  at  the  16  fathom  sounding. 

88  Khitrov's  journal:  "The  longboat  was  put  into  the  water  and  sent  for  me  on 
Shumagin  Island  because  I  could  not  get  on  board  in  the  small  boat,  owing  to  the  gale. 
High  sea  going  down.  Bearings  from  anchor:  S  point  Shumagin  Island  S  by  W,  N 
point  of  the  same  island  N.^aE,  the  N  point  of  the  two  islands  from  Shumagin  NNE." 


LANDING  ON  SHUMAGIN  ISLANDS 

'2^  September  3,  1741.     After  Midday 


145 


3 
0 

0 

c 

•0 
c 

3 
0 

u 

a 

I 

SSE 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds;  let  go  the 
spare  anchor  and  payed  out  J4  of  a  cable. 

2 

SE/S 

3 

4 

Fog,  wet. 

S 

Put  the  anchor  which  we  raised  in  its  proper  place. 

6 

Wind  has  shifted,  squally;  saw  two  fires  on  shore  not 
far  from  one  another,  and  we  decided  that  one  was 
made  by  Khitrov  and  the  other  by  the  party  sent  to 
him.  Heavy  sea  running;  lowered  the  main  and 
fore  yards,  payed  out  ,'  i  of  a  cable  on  the  small  bower 
anchor  and  on  the  spare  anchor,  made  ready  the  best 
bower  anchor.      A  regular  gale   blowing. 

7 

8 

9 

10 

u 

ssw 

Terrific  squalls. 

12 

Payed  out  H  of  a  cable  on  spare  anchor. 

I 

2 

Wind  going  down  a  bit. 

3 

4 

Topsail  wind. 

5 

sw/s 

Weighed  the  spare  anchor,  heaved  in  cable  of  small 
bower. 

6 

sw 

Made  fast  the  best  bower  anchor  at  K  of  a  cable  as 
before. 

7 

wsw 

Khitrov  and  his  party  returned,  but  the  yawl  was 
left  ashore.  He  reported  that  he  could  not  bring 
it  because  of  the  heavy  surf.  He  also  made  a  report 
of  his  expedition  to  the  Captain  Coramander.89 

8 

w/s 

Q 

10 

w 

Took  the  boat  on  deck,  weighed  the  small  bower 
anchor. 

II 

Hoisted  the  sails  and  made  for  the  open  sea,  for  we 
were  afraid  to  remain  here  longer  waiting  for  fair 
winds.  We  sounded  and  had  16,  18,  19,  20  fathoms; 
course  ENE;   bottom  small  rocks,  sand,  and  shells. 

12 

89  Khitrov's  journal:  "I  reported  to  the  Captain  Commander  that  while  I  was  on 
the  island  to  which  I  was  sent  I  saw  a  fireplace  and  many  other  signs  of  human  beings 
but  no  human  beings  themselves.  I  sighted  the  mainland  back  of  the  islands  about  12 
miles  away." 


146  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

5  September  4,  17 41.     After  Midday 


3 
0 
X 

0 

c 

•0 
c 

2 
3 
0 

I 

sw 

Light  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

2 

3 

Reef-topsail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

4 

S 

Realizing  that  we  could  not  get  out  and  that  it  was 
not  safe  to  remain  under  sail  during  the  night,  we 
dropped  the  small  bower  anchor  in  20  fathoms*) 
and  payed  out  J<  of  a  cable.  Bottom  sandy  and 
shelly. 

6 

7 

SSW 

8 

0 

10 

Calm 

Calm. 

II 

12 

Light  wind;  took  all  the  reefs  in  topsails  to  be  ready 
for  whatever  might  happen;  but,  in  the  meantime, 
furled  topsails. 

I 

— 

S 

2 

Heaved  in  the  small  bower  cable  to  'A . 

3 

4 

Put  the  boat  into  the  water,  and  I  was  sent  to  ex- 
amine what  seemed  a  bay  in  NE  in  order  to  find 
shelter  from  whatever  wind  may  come  along. 

5 

SSE 

6 

7 

SE 

I  returned  to  the  ship  and  reported  that  what  we 
sighted  was  not  a  bay  but  an  open  passage  and  that 
the  depth  was  15  and  16  fathoms. 

8 

Weighed  the  small  bower  anchor,  set  the  sails,  and 
steered  W;  let  out  all  the  reefs  in  topsails.  From 
8  to  II  o'clock  we  sounded  as  we  went  along  and 
had  IS.  20,  and  25  fathoms. 

9 

SSE 

10 

Topsail  wind,  clear. 

II 

12 

Came  about  on  the  starboard  tack,  because  we  could 
not  get  around  the  island  with  the  wind  as  it  stood, 
and  went  easterly. 

so  Off  Bird  Island.    This  third  anchorage  is  marked  on  Khitrov's  map  (Fig.  11)  by 
anchor  at  the  end  of  the  arrow  pointing  north. 


FIRST  MEETING  WITH  NATIX'ES 

T^   September  5,  1741.     After  Midday 


147 


3 

0 

0 
c 

•a 
5 

u 
0 

U 

>> 

a 

.J 

I 

SSE 

Topgallantsail    wind,    sunshine;     carrying    topsails, 
staysails,  and  lower  sails. 

2 

On  our  track  we  get  16,  13.  26,  30.  38,  25.  22  fathoms; 
gravelly  bottom,  in  places  shelly;    rhumb  E  by  N. 

3 

It  is  clear  that  we  cannot  get  out  to  sea  because  of 
the  contrary  and  shifting  winds. 

4 

We  sailed  back  to  the  island  where  we  were  the  night 
before   and   let   go   the   small    bower   anchor   in    21 
fathoms,    bottom   sandy,   and   payed   out    H    cable. 
We  heard  the  shout  of  human  voices, and  a  little  later 
two  baidarkas.91  one  man  in  each,  paddled  towards 
us  and  shouted   as  before.'-     Our  interpreter  called 
to  them  in  Chukchi  and  Koriak,  but  they  could  not 
understand   him   and   pointed   to  their  ears.     After 
this  they  went  ashore,  and  we  followed  them  in  the 
ship's  boat  in  charge  of  Waxel,  who  took  with  him 
different    things    to    give    as    presents.      When    he 
returned  he  reported  that  they  would  not  accept  his 
presents  and   that  they  tried   to  drag  our  boat  on 
shore  and  detain  our  interpreter,  but  Waxel  did  not 
know  the  reason  for  their  actions.     Under  the  cir- 
cumstances he  gave  orders  to  fire  from  two  guns. 
At    the  discharge   they   fell   on   the  ground   and    let 
go  of  the  interpreter.    One  of  the  natives  was  offered 
a  drink,  and  after  tasting  it  he  spat  it  out.     Because 
of  the  heavy  surf  our  men  could  not  go  ashore.      In 
the  end  our  men  had  to  cut  the  cable  m  order  to  get 
away." 

S 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

II 

12 

Fire  is  seen  on  the  island. 

I 

E/S 

Of  the  two  men  who  were  near  the  ship  one  stood 
closer  and   the   other  farther  from   the  ship.      The 
Captain    Commander   ordered    that   they    be   given 
4 'i    arshins   of    red    cloth.    2    mirrors.    3    strings   of 
Chinese  beads,  small  bells.     These  things  were  tied, 
on  a  board  and  lowered  into  the  water.    He  accepted 
these   presents   with   pleasure.      He   threw   on   deck 
2  polished  rods;  one  had  tied  to  it  falcon's  feathers, 
and  the  other  a  bird's  claw.     After  this  they  left  us 
and   waved   their  hands  to  shore.     Waxel  followed 
them  at   7   o'clock   as  has  already   been   noted. 

2 

3 

— 

4 

5 

— 

6 

7 

8 

ESE 

Heavy  squalls  so  that  we  were  obliged  to  lower  the 
main  and  fore  yards. 

0 

SE 

Topsail  \vind. 

10 

Drizzly. 

II 

S 

Warped  the  small  bower  to   'A  cable,  put  the  yards 
back  in  their  places. 

12 

SSW 

Light  uind,  foggy. 

(Footnotes  Qi-03  on  next  page.) 


148 


LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 


Footnotes  to  Log  of  September  J 


91  A  baidar  (Russ.  baiddra)  is  a  large  open  skin  boat  able  to  accommodate  a  number 
of  passengers  and  a  considerable  amount  of  freight.  A  baidarka  (Russ.  baiddrka)  is  a 
small  skin  boat  covered  all  over,  except  the  round  openings  at  the  top  to  admit  the  paddler 
or  paddlers  (cf.  Fig.  ii).  The  baidar  is  related  to  the  Eskimo  umiak,  the  baidarka  to  the 
kayak.  Baidars  may  be  seen  today  in  the  Bering  Sea  ard  baidarkas  in  the  Aleutian  Islands. 
When  the  Russians  first  came  in  contact  with  the  Aleuts  the  baidarkas  were  all  of  the 
"one-hatch"  type,  that  is,  large  enough  for  one  person.  This  type  has  almo.it  entirely 
disappeared  and  has  been  succeeded  by  the  "two-hatch"  baidarka,  and  occasionally  one 
may  even  see  a  "three-hatch"  baidarka.  These  little  boats  are  very  light  and  strong, 
and  the  Aleuts  are  very  skillful  in  handling  them. 

Sauer.  who  visited  Unalaska  in  1790,  has  left  a  full  description  of  these  skin  boats: 
"The  baidars.  or  boats,  of  Oonalashka.  are  infinitely  superior  to  those  of  any  other  island. 
If  perfect  symmetry,  smoothness,  and  proportion  constitute  beauty,  they  are  beautiful; 
to  me  they  appeared  so  beyond  anything  that  1  ever  beheld.  I  have  seen  some  of  them 
as  transparent  as  oiled  paper,  through  which  you  could  trace  every  formation  of  the 
inside,  and  the  manner  of  the  native's  sitting  in  it;  whose  light  dress,  painted  and  plumed 
bonnet,  together  with  his  perfect  ease  and  activity,  added  infinitely  to  its  elegance. 
Their  first  appearance  struck  me  with  amazement  beyond  expression."  (Martin  Sauer; 
An  Account  of  a  Geographical  and  Astronomical  Expedition  to  the  Northern  Parts  of 
Russia    ...    by  Commodore  Joseph  Billings,  London,   1802,  p.   157.) 

92  This  was  a  form  of  greeting  more  or  less  common  to  all  the  natives  of  the  north- 
west coast  of  America.  Cook  met  with  it  in  Nootka  Sound.  "On  their  first  coming, 
they  generally  went  through  a  singular  mode  of  introducing  them.selves.  They  would 
paddle,  with  all  their  strength,  quite  round  both  ships,  a  Chief,  or  other  principal  person 
on  the  canoe,  standing  up  with  a  spear  or  some  other  weapon  in  his  hand  and  speaking, 
or  rather  hollowing,  all  the  time."  (James  Cook:  A  Voyage  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  London, 
1784.  Vol.   2.  p.  273-) 

93  Khitrov's  journal:  "At  4:30  we  heard  shouts  of  human  voices  from  the  island 
alongside  of  which  we  were  at  anchor. 

"At  6  o'clock  two  baidarkas  were  seen  coming  towards  us,  one  man  in  each  boat,  and 
when  they  were  within  50  fathoms  of  the  ship  they  stopped  and  called  in  their  own 
tongue,  but  our  Chukchi  and  Koriak  interpreters  could  not  make  out  what  they  said 
nor  could  they  make  themselves  understood  when  they  shouted  to  them  [the  islanders), 
because  they  pointed  to  their  ears  and  to  the  island.  On  the  island  people  were  also 
calling.  One  of  the  two  men  just  mentioned  paddled  up  close  to  the  ship  but  not  quite 
alongside.  At  the  order  of  Captain  Commander  Bering  we  threw  overboard  a  piece  of 
board  on  which  were  tied  a  number  of  presents,  namely,  sK  arshins  of  red  material, 
2  small  mirrors,  2  strings  of  Chinese  iron  beads,  20  small  copper  bells  and  s  [knives?]. 
The  American  received  these  things  with  pleasure  and  in  return  threw  to  us  as  a  present 
two  thinly  shaped  rods  to  one  of  which  were  tied  bird's  feathers  and  to  the  other  bird's 
claws  with  feathers  on  them.  The  feathers  we  identified  as  those  of  the  falcon.  When 
we  had  taken  these  things  they  paddled  away  for  the  shore  and  called  to  us  and  pointed 
to  the  land.  We  lowered  the  longboat  into  the  water  for  the  purpose  of  going  ashore. 
In  the  boat  was  sent,  by  the  order  of  the  Captain,  Lieutenant  Waxel,  who  took  with 
him  several  members  of  the  crew,  (who  were  armed),  a  few  presents,  and  Russian  liquor. 
He  was  gone  about  two  hours,  returning  at  8  o'clock  and  reporting  to  the  Captain  Com- 
mander that  when  he  came  to  the  island  on  which  were  the  Americans  he  offered  them 
presents  but  they  would  not  take  them.  He  offered  one  of  the  islanders  a  glass  of  liquor, 
but  as  soon  as  he  tasted  it  he  spat  it  out  and  returned  the  glass.  The  lieutenant  allowed 
several  of  the  men,  among  them  being  the  interpreter,  to  land;  but  he  himself  remained 
in  the  boat  which  he  anchored  out  a  little  distance  from  shore,  for  owing  to  the  strong 
wind  and  submerged  rocks  near  the  beach  it  was  dangerous  to  approach  it.  The  Americans 
led  the  interpreter  to  their  camp  and  gave  him  whale  blubber,  but  when  he  attempted 
to  leave  them  to  return  to  the  boat,  nine  of  the  Americans  seized  him  and  would  not 
let  him  go,  which  shows  that  they  regarded  him  as  one  of  their  own  people  even  though 
he  is  a  Kamchadal  by  origin.  In  order  to  free  the  interpreter  an  order  was  given  to  fire 
off  several  guns  in  the  air,  and  when  that  was  done  the  Americans  fell  down  on  the  ground, 
letting  go  of  the  interpreter,  who  hurried  to  the  boat.  When  our  party  was  ready  to 
leave  the  Americans  seized  the  painter  and  started  to  haul  the  boat  ashore.  Seeing  this, 
the  order  was  given  to  cut  the  painter  and  leave  the  anchor  and  pull  for  the  ship.  In 
the  drawing  attached  is  given  the  position  of  the  bay  and  the  island  [Pig.  11],  and  a  sketch 
of  the  Americans  and  their  hair-seal  skin  boats,"    (See  Fig.  12,  upper.) 


ll«tf(b.^...    Ce.     v/(a.<^at6    ccc^.^^    e;v<.>/6,«  efet-fd,  f<aJ>j,tUL  Hft<,D.v,oA=Ko  m.Jr 

lp^,acfl.  <./'f(>^t^«'n^^,  tf<i«.,cr;eaa,po  «rn,9^^^«^c<cw«.(^*>  t-6«a.o  i 
|Ctac«r^-  acTo«A  e*«cC  OcT^cara  ««»><«;?  or.t<rc,^cfuu.<c,.^.  ettju^«  7^ 
jl^^to    f^a^Ct^Uux,  aa^    uoo^   <-*,.< HrrT<^«lo  ^,  J^»«2i. o«&.^ .^ , 

iBk'Sfti-  t?o  oixrfc  Chc  Ti^xjhcuto  C'no»oVo  ^t<iXLCre  c'^C><~<.W)  OcriTrrMa^ 
!>TnCi«A«c*-Vo    TffMnwia  Cfc^Jfcrtic  (^CtTTO^jTk    ^<aDfe(^•i.  <^}f<£c,,a^.,«    p>^£i.  aoo.aii 


j.-,f;.  II— Facsimile  of  a  payc  of  the  log  book  of  the  SI.  /V/,t  kept  by  Khilrov: 
end  t:f  entrj-  "f  September  5.  i74i.  with  map  of  the  Shumagin  Ishinds  (for  text, 
see  opposite  page,  footnote  93). 


(*e^ 


l,i,,  ,  .  ipiK  r:  An  Alcut  in  lii^  haidarka,  or  dUf-liatrh  skin  boat.  From  an 
uiii>ubU.-,lua  duiwinu  on  llu-  chart  of  the  voyage  of  the  St.  l\Ur.  by  Waxel  and 
Khitrov,  1744,  in  the  Archives  of  tlie  Hydrographic  Section  of  the  Ministry  of 
Marine.  Petrograd,  No.  1940- 

Lower:  A  native  of  Unalaska  in  a  baidarka.  From  a  book  of  unpubhslied  draw- 
ings of  Alaskan  scenes  by  l.evashev,  1767-17&8.  in  the  Archives  of  tlie  Hydro- 
graphic  Section   of   tlic    ^linistry   of    Marine,    Petrograd. 


FIRST  MEETING  WITH  NATIVES 

^  September  6,  1741.     After  Midday 


149 


3 
0 

X 

0 

c 
i4 

•a 
c 

3 
0 

a 

i 

0 

I 

ssw 

Light  wind.  fog. 

2 

3 

V\SW 

Topgallantsail  wind;  weighed  anchor  and  tacked 
with  a  view  to  finding  shelter  from  the  wind.  When 
we  had  come  to  17  fathoms  we  took  in  the  sail  and  let 
go  the  small  bower  anchor,  bottom  sandy,  and  payed 
out  H  cable.  Seven  baidarkas.  one  American  in 
each,  came  near  the  ship,  two  of  them  quite  close. 
The  Captain  Commander  ordered  that  they  be 
given  an  iron  kettle  and  needles.  They  gave  us 
two  wooden  hats,  on  one  of  which  was  fastened  a 
small   ivory   image  resembling   a   man. 

4 

S 

6 

7 

w/s 

8 

9 

10 

II 

w 

12 

I 

Light  wind. 

2 

C^loudy. 

3 

4 

Began  to  heave  in  the  cable. 

S 



6 

s 

Heaved  anchor  and  set  the  sails.M 

7 

w/s 

SSE 

Let  out  all  the  reefs  in  the  topsails  and  got  under 
way,  having  under  us  18,  20.  23,  2.';.  30  fathoms. 

8 

s 

9 

wsw 

10 

SHE 

II 

12 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds.  At  noon 
we  were  by  cross  bearings,  from  Shumagin  Island, 
where  we  stood  on  the  30th,  NW>^N  about  7  Ger- 
man miles. 

Variation 

of 

Compasjs 

IM  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  V'aua 

,0 
c 
3 

JO 
tr,  C 

0 

M 

c 

a 

c  c 

—    «   0) 

je.-= 

00 

s 

3 

bb 

§ 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

SSE 

28 

s 
26' 

E 
II 

18' 

S4°42' 

319'yi 

E 

4''SI'N 

3S°SS' 

M  Khitrov's  journal:     "Got  under  way." 


150  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

(^  September  7,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 

X 

0 

c 

■0 

c 

3 
0 

u 

J 

I 

3K 

SW/W 

S/E 

I  ,'4 

Reef-topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds;  carry- 
ing lower  and  upper  sails;   SW  swell. 

2 

3K 

wsw 

S>iE 

I  '4 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

3 

3 

I  '4 

4 

3K 

I  '4 

S 

3K 

iK 

Wind  and  weather  as  before. 

6 

3K 

I  !i 

7 

3 

I  '*' 

8 

3 

Wind  comes  in  gusts,  moon  and  stars  out. 

9 

2K 

10 

2M 

SW/W 

S/EME 

IJ^ 

Westerly  swell. 

II 

2H 

iK 

iM 

Hauled  down  staysails. 

12 

sw 

SSE 

I  'i 

Changeable  wind,  squalls,  rain;    furled  topsails. 

I 

2M 

SW/W 

S/E 

3 

2 

2 

sw 

SSE  >4  E 

3 

Heavy  passing  clouds  with  squalls. 

3 

2M 

WSW 

S 

3 

Stars  out. 

4 

2J^ 

3 

5 

iK 

2'A 

W/S 

S/W 

I  '4 

6 

I  '4 

Set  topsails. 

7 

3 

I.U 

Took  three  reefs  in  fore-topsail,  hauled  up  topmast- 
staysails. 

8 

3M 

SMW 

I  '4' 

Reef-topsail  wind,  cloudy;    lowered  staysails. 

9 

3K 

wsw 

S 

I  '4 

10 

3 

2 

Undersail  wind,  squally;    took  three  reefs  in  main- 
topsail,  furled  both  topsails. 

II 

2'A 

2 

12 

iVa 

2 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iM  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

£1 
6 
3 

X 

c 

2 
a 

«.:  oil 

S  3 

a 

►J 

c  c 

X: 
S 
3 

M 
C 
0 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

S 
5''S7'E 

61 

S 
60..';' 

E 

6.3 

11' 

53°42' 

322K 

E 

2°o8'N 

36°o6' 

CONTINUANCE  OF  WESTWARD  VOYAGE       151 

r^  September  8,  1741.    After  Midday 


3 
0 
X 

0 

c 

•0 

C 

1 

0 

0 

>1 

■J 

I 

iK 

w 

S/W|iW 

2  J2 

Reef-undersail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds, 
westerly  swell;  reefed  foresail,  furled  foresail  and 
mainsail,  and  hove  to  under  main-staysail  and 
trysail. 

2 

2 

2M 

Coming  up  to  SW  by  W.  falling  off  to  SSW. 

3 

iM 

W/N 

sswy,w 

4 

iM 

5 !  J 

S 

I   ^3 

WNW 

SW!,S 

S  '-i 

Heavy  storm. 

6 

iK 

S'^ 

7 

i}^ 

S'i 

Cloudy,  air  thick. 

8 

il'j 

S"i 

Stars  out. 

9 

I  ■« 

10 

1  ', 

Wind  decreasing. 

II 

I"; 

W/N 

SSWKW 

Coming  up  to  SW,  falling  off  to  S  by  W. 

12 

I".' 

S'-^ 

I 

6 

Undersail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

2 

6 

3 

6 

4 

Th 

Topsail  wind. 

5 

SW/S 

iji 

Hoisted  topsails,  let  out  a  reef  in  topsails. 

6 

2K 

WNW 

SWKS 

1% 

Hoisted  topmast-staysails,  set  foresail  and  main- 
sail. 

7 

3 

W/N 

SW/S 

I '4 

Wind  unsteady  and  in  gusts. 

8 

2  'j 

iK 

9 

2H 

1J4 

10 

3 

2K 

I  "4 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

II 

12 

2K 

SWJ^S 

I  '4 

Westerly  swell. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

\'A  rhumb  E 

n  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

«  0 

c 

ii 

c 

?5^ 

4-> 

c  c 

—  n  ji 

•2  tS 

0 
E 

3 
Si 

B 
0 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

S/W 
2''37'W 

39 

s 
37.7' 

W 
9 

IS' 

S3°04' 

323K 

E 

o°24'N 

3S°Si' 

152  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  September  9,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 

0 

X 

0 

c 

-J, 

•0 
c 

K 
0 

u 

I 

2>i 

W/N 

sw/s 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy;  let  out  two  reefs  in  topsails; 
carrying  topsails,  staysails,  foresail,  mainsail,  and 
trysail. 

2 

2% 

3 

2% 

W 

ssw 

I ;  i 

4 

2H 

S 

3 

W/N 

SSW>iW 

I  Ji 

Wind  comes  in  gusts,  westerly  swell. 

6 

2K 

IK 

7 

2H 

sw/s 

IM 

-. 

8 

2 

I>^ 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy. 

9 

2 

SSWMW 

iM 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

10 

2 

iM 

II 

I  '4 
I  '4 

W 

ssw 

iM 

Light  wind,  cloudy. 

12 

I, ■'J 

I 

I 

\V/S 

S'-,W 

2 

Drizzly,  rainy. 

2 

I 

wsw 

Sh'E 

2 

3 

V* 

sw 

SSE 

2 

4 

M 

sw/s 

SE/S 

2 

Hauled  down  staysails. 

5 



No  wind 

Clewed  up  mainsail  and  trysail. 

6 

7 

2 

ESE 

w/s 

Topgallantsail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

8 

2 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  fore-topsail. 

9 

3 

Let  out  three  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

10 

4M 

Reef-topsail  wind,  wet;  took  two  reefs  in  fore- 
topsail,  set  trysail. 

II 

S  K 

12 

SM 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

3 

JO 
to  C 

c 

4 

c  c 

J  5.-= 

£1 

e 

3 

s: 

c 

0 

By   Dead 
Reckoning 

SW/W 
i''42'S 

41.7 

s 

24' 

w 

34 

SS.8' 

S2°40' 

316K 

E 
o°38'S 

34°SS' 

CONTINUANCE  OF  WESTWARD  VOYAGE       153 

If  September  lo,  J 741.    After  Midday 


u 
3 
0 

X 

1 

•0 

c 

3 
0 
0 

n 

I 

S'A 

ESE 

wsw 

Undersail  wind,  drizzly,  rainy;    carrying  reefed 
topsails,  foresail,   and   trysail. 

2 

S'A 

3 

5 

SE 

4 

5 

SE/S 

s\v  /w 

i^ 

Set  mainsail  and  topmast-staysails. 

S 

2 

S/E 

s 

I M 

6 

iH 

S 

wsw 

Topgallantsail    wind,    weather   as    before,    damp, 
heavy  swell  from  SE. 

7 

2 ,' «' 

I'A 

8 

2,'i 

S/E 

sw/w 

I'A 

9 

2 '4 

I'A 

Drizzly,  wet. 

10 

2 

iK 

II 

I  'i 

S 

usw 

iH 

Southerly  swell. 

12 

I  H 

I 

I  ij 

Light  wind,  weather  as  before. 

2 

iM 

3 

I 

S  /W 

w/s 

4 

2'A 

SSW 

w 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

S 

2 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  fore-topsail. 

6 

2K 

Set  the  jib. 

7 

2K 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

8 

3M 

9 

3  ''4 

s 

wsw 

I'A 

Southerly  swell. 

10 

3'i 

I'A 

n 

2H 

I'A 

Wind  decreasing. 

12 

2K 

WSW!iW 

I'.' 

Fog.  wet. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

c 

3 

■Jl  c 

is 

0,3 

i 

B  C 

E 
3 

a. 

c 
0 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

W/N 
3°02'W 

6.1 

N 
8.7' 

W 

60 

98' 

S2°49' 

301 'A 

E 
0°I4'S 

33°I7' 

154  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

$  September  ii,  1741.    After  Midday 


3 
0 

X 

0 

B 

•0 
a 

u 
3 

u 

I 

3 

S/W 

WAS 

Topsail   wind,   foggy,   clear  with 
carrying    reefed    topsails,    foresail 
staysails. 

passing   clouds; 
mainsail,   and 

2 

2M 

3 

3 

ssw 

WAN 

Wind  unsteady  and  in  gusts. 

4 

3 

5 

3M 

Reef-topsail  wind. 

6 

3K 

w 

7 

3 

S/E 

sw/w 

I 

8 

2M 

s 

wsw 

Topgallantsail  wind,  wet. 

9 

Ij< 

S/E 

sw/w 

I 

10 

I 

ENE 

sw 

Light  wind,  weather  as  before. 

II 

2 

NNE 

sw/w 

Sounded,  but  no  bottom. 

12 

2>3 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy. 

I 

3 

Occasionally  the  stars  are  seen. 

2 

3M 

N 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

3 

3K 

Drizzly,  wet. 

4 

4 

NW/N 

S 

S 

NNW 

wsw 

Wind  unsteady. 

6 

SH 

N 

7 

5 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  fore-topsail. 

8 

5 

9 

5 
5 

Strong  reef-topsail  wind. 

10 

II 

5 

NNW 

Drizzly. 

12 

S 

Wet. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

J3 

E 

3 

ft! 

(5j 

0 

0^ 

i 

c  s 
—  a  f, 

,0 
B 

3 

c 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

W/S 
S°I3'W 

83.7 

S 
8.8' 

W 
83 

140' 

S2°40' 

283K 

E 

0°43'S 

30°S7' 

CONTINUANCE  OF  WESTWARD  VOYAGE       155 

T")   September  12,  1741.    After  Midday 


u 
3 
0 

X 

0 

B 

•0 

c 

3 
0 

a 
Si 

I 

3y, 

N 

WSW 

I 

Topsail   wind,    drizzly,    wet;     carrying   topsails, 
staysails,  foresails,  mainsail,  and  trysail. 

2 

3 'A 

3 

3 

NNW 

4 

I  "i 

NW 

SW  ,'W 

Northeasterly  swell. 

S 

3 

NNW 

WSW 

6 

2>i 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy. 

7 

I-K 

8 

I 

Light  wind,  weather  as  before. 

9 

K 

Northerly  swell. 

10 

I  '-i 

Calm 

Cloudy. 

II 

W,S 

S-iW 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

12 

2 

I 

2  '^ 

s  w 

2 

2 

Weather  as  before,  moon  and  stars  out. 

3 

I  K 

WSW 

s 

4 

2 

W 

ssw 

Heavy  clouds  from  the  west. 

S 

2 

6 

2 

w/s 

s/w 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

7 

I  ■'« 

S'iW 

Changeable  wind,  cloudy. 

8 

2  '4 

I  'A 

WSW 

S'.E 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

9 

sw/w 

NW!4W 

Let  out  second  reef  in  topsails,  tacked  to  port. 

10 

2 

II 

2 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

12 

2 

WSW 

NW 

Cloudy,  wet. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

\%  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

F 

rora  Vaua 

J3 

s 

3 
ti 

JO 
cr,  C 

ii 

c 

c  c 

—  n  0! 

jS  = 

,0 

s 

3 

c 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

SW/W 
3°o6'W 

31M 

S 

16' 

W 

27 

44' 

.'>2°24' 

276K 

E 
I°34'S 

30°  13' 

156 


LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  September  13,  1741.     After  Midday 


0 

0 

s 

•0 
c 

3 
0 

u 

I 

I 

sw/w 

NWMW 

iM 

Topgallantsail    wind,   cloudy,    wet;    came 
on  the  starboard  tack. 

about 

2 

I 

w 

SSW 

lA 

3 

■-4 

3 

4 

H 

3 

Drizzly,  wet. 

S 

I 

sw/w 

S/E 

iM 

Light  wind. 

6 

2?< 

S/E  HE 

I 

7 

I 

wsw 

NW'iW 

I'A 

Came  about  on  the  port  tack. 

8 

'A 

sw/w 

NW/WKW 

Cloudy. 

9 

I'A 

I 

Moon  out;  took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

10 

2 

I 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

II 

2H 

I 

12 

2 

NW/W 

I 

iK 

S/E 

I  'A 

Made  the  starboard  tack. 

2 

I  ',4 

I 

S/EKE 

I 

3 

sw 

SSE 

2 

4 

I 

2 

S 

'A 

WNW 

3 

6 

'A 

3 

Light  wind. 

7 

y- 

s 

WSWMW 

iM 

Let  out  second  and  third  reefs  in  topsails. 

8 

K 

I>2 

9 

2K 

S/E 

wsw 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

10 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

11 

3'A 

12 

3H 

Topsail  wind,  weather  as  before.95 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  h 

ours 

From  Vaua 

S 
3 

2 
J,  0 

m  C 

c 

c 

si 

i 

c  c 

:s.i 

J2 

e 

3 

5 

B 
0 

By  Dead 

Reckoning 

(Yushin) 

w/s 

6°29'W 

18.3 

s 

IS' 

W 
18 

28.8' 

52°23' 

212% 

E 
i°38'S 

29°44' 

By 

Observation 
(Khitrof) 

SW/S 
2<'38'W 

20.8 

s 
24' 

W 

17-7 

28.8' 

S2°Ol' 

21l'A 

E 
2°48'S 

20°3S' 

"  As  indicated  in  the  24-hour  summary,  Khitrov's  journal  gives  latitude  by  observa 
tion  52°  01'.    This  value  has  been  used  on  the  chart  (PI.  I). 


CONTINUANCE  OF  WESTWARD  VOYAGE       157 

@  September  14,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

0 

c 

'J, 

•0 
C 

1 

3 
0 

u 

I 

A 'A 

SSE 

wsw 

Topsail    wind,    clear   with    passing   clouds. 

2 

S 

3 

5  "4 

Let  out  a  reef  in  main-topsail. 

4 

SH 

Took  three  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

S 

s 

S/E 

Reef-topsail  wind,  drizzly,  wet. 

6 

4 

7 

2,'< 

ssw 

W 

I 

Topsail  wind;  reefed  mainsail;  foggy,  wet. 

8 

I« 

wsw 

NW 

I>2 

9 

2 

I  H 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

10 

I '  i 

nw;-;n 

I  ,'  i 

II 

M 

w 

S>iE 

2 

Light   wind   and    unsteady;   came   about   on   the 
starboard  tack. 

12 

iM 

S  W  ■  i  w 

2 

I 

M 

W/N 

sw/s 

2 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

2 

I 'A 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

3 

3 

WNW 

sw 

!i 

Topsail  wind,  wet. 

4 

3>^ 

Vi 

5 

3M 

M 

Hauled  down  jib;  westerly  swell. 

6 

3--i 

J^ 

7 

2*4 

NW   \V 

sw  w 

H 

Reef-topsail  wind,  cloudy. 

8 

3"4 

NW 

sw   WliW 

I 

Took  second  reef  in  topsails. 

9 

2H 

NW/\\ 

sw  /w 

i;  J 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

10 

2K 

NW 

wsw 

l!i 

Took  third  reef  in  topsails. 

II 

2  'A 

I  >a 

Reefed  foresail,  furled  fore-topsail. 

12 

2% 

2 

Gale;  furled  main-topsail. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

\%  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

.a 
c 
3 

JO 
s 

5s 

5^ 

i 

c  c 
—  n  oj 

jSrS 

QO 

g 

3 

By   Dead 
Reckoning 

WSW 
S°S2'W 

60 

S 
17' 

W 

57.6 

02' 

S2°o6' 

258 

E 

2°40'S 

28°I2' 

158  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

(^  September  ij,  17 41.         After  Midday 


3 

0 

a; 

0 

c 

•0 
C 

3 
0 
U 

% 

I 

2 

NW 

WSW>iS 

2M 

Reef-undersail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds; 
hauled  down  staysails;  squally;  furled  foresail, 
hove  to  under  mainsail  and  trysail;  coming  up 
to  W.  falling  off  to  SW  by  W. 

2 

2K 

2H 

3 

iH 

NW/N 

WSWKW 

2H 

4 

IM 

5 

5 

iK 

5 

6 

iM 

S 

Lowered  the  foreyard. 

7 

iK 

Stormy. 

8 

1% 

SH 

Furled  main-staysail. 

9 

I'A 

SK 

10 

I J4 

SK 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

11 

5M 

At  times  light  rain. 

12 

iK 

I 

^ 

Wind  decreasing. 

2 

6 

3 

6 

Stars  out. 

4 

6 

Chilly,  damp. 

S 

I'A 

Undersail  wind;  hauled  up  foreyards. 

6 

NW 

wsw 

3 

Set  foresail  and  mainsail. 

7 

I  K 

3 

8 

M 

3 

Sun  shining. 

9 

2 

WSW^iS 

2K 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy;  set  main-topsail  and  let 
out  two  reefs. 

10 

iM 

■2% 

Set  fore-topsail  reefed. 

li 

2 

wsw 

2 

12 

2M 

2 

Northwesterly  swell.  Took  an  observation:  zenith 
distance  52  °  20',  declination  of  the  sun  i  °  06', 
latitude  si  °I4'. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

\%  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

E 
3 

s 

4J 

n 

c  c 

S 

3 

►J 

By 

Observation 

SSW 
I°28'S 

S6 

S 
52' 

W 

20 

32' 

SI°I4' 

2S6M 

E 
S°36'S 

27°4o' 

CONTINUANCE  OF  WESTWARD  VOYAGE       159 

^  September  i6,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

X 

0 

c 

•0 
c 

3 
0 

u 

t 

1 

2 

WNW 

SWKW 

1% 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds;  let  out 
a  reef  in  fore-topsail. 

2 

2'A 

I'A 

3 

2 

SW 

l'/i 

Sea  running  from  NW;  carrying  topsails,  stay- 
sails, foresail,  mainsail,  and  trysail. 

4 

2'A 

I  Vi 

S 

lij 

I  J  3 

Topgallantsail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

6 

I^3 

iM 

7 

iji 

W 

SSW 

i!^ 

Took  three  reefs  in  fore-topsail. 

8 

I '3 

WSW 

s 

iM 

9 

NW 

Light  wind,  made  the  port  tack. 

10 

I  !  i 

SW 

WNW 

2 

Drizzly,  clear. 

1 1 

2 '4 

S\V   S 

WiN 

12 

I  '4 

I  '  J 

I 

I'y, 

SSE 

W/S 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  iore-topsail. 

2 

2 

3 

3  '  J 

ESE 

Let  out  a  reef  in  main-topsail. 

4 

45^ 

Topsail  wind,  drizzly. 

S 

A'A 

6 

aH 

SE 

7 

S!4 

Reef-topsail  wind,  weather  as  before.* 

8 

S^4 

SE   S 

Let  out  a  reef  in  foresail,  set  jib. 

9 

3'j 

SSE 

10 

SW   S 

W/N 

Topsail  wind. 

II 

3*4 

SW 

WNW 

H 

Took  reef  in  main-topsail. 

12 

4"  J 

SW  /w 

WNW'jN 

Reef -topsail  wind,  drizzly. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

1%  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

c 

3 

.JO 
CO  C 

"  c 

ii 

i 

c 

1,-:  u 

Q  ° 

s  c 

5^^ 

E 

3 

C 

9 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

W 

60 

0' 

W 
60 

06' 

5I°I4' 

241 K 

E 

5°S7'S 

26°04' 

•6  Khitrov's  journal:    "On  sick  list: 


i6o  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

If  September  17,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 

0 

X 

0 
C 

■0 

B 

2 

3 
0 

0 

a 

I 

4 

sw 

WNWKN 

Reef-topsail  wind,  drizzly,  rain. 

2 

3K 

sw/w 

NW/W 

Took   second   and   third   reef   in   topsails. 

3 

3 

wsw 

NW 

Hauled  down  jib. 

4 

3'A 

sw 

WNWKN 

Let  out  reef  in  topsails. 

5 

3 'A 

WNW 

6 

4 

sw/s 

W/N 

7 

3^i 

sw 

WNW 

Took  third  reef  in  topsails  and  in  foresail. 

8 

3K 

9 

3>^ 

sw/w 

NW/W 

Reef-topsail  wind,  drizzly,  clear  with  passing 
showers. 

10 

4 

II 

3K 

NW/WKW 

Wind  comes  in  gusts. 

12 

2Vi 

wsw 

NW 

Rain,   southwesterly   swell;   tacked   to   starboard. 

I 

2K 

S 

2 

2 

2}4 

w/s 

s/w 

2 

Heavy   rain;   let   out   a   reef   in   main-topsail. 

3 

IK 

w 

ssw 

2 

4 

IK 

W/N 

SSWMW 

2 

Topsail  wind;  let  out  two  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

S 

iM 

2 

6 

iV, 

2 

Let  out  a  reef  in  fore-topsail. 

7 

2 

SW/S 

2 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy. 

8 

1% 

2 

Heavy  sea,  light  rain. 

9 

2 

W 

ssw 

2 

Let  out  third  reef  in  main-topsail  and  second  in 
fore-topsail. 

10 

iH 

2 

II 

2'A 

W/N 

SW/S 

2 

Wind  freshening;  took  first  and  second  reefs  in 
main-topsails  and  second  and  third  reefs  in  fore- 
topsail. 

12 

iK 

W 

SSWMW 

2 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

3 

^0 
to  C 

c 

13 

c 

J 

c  c 
—  a  7 
J  6.-= 

5o'^ 

s 

3 

c 

0 

.J 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

WNW 

I°03'N 

33 

N 
13' 

W 

30 

48' 

SI°27' 

233  K 

E 
5°2i'S 

25°i6' 

CONTINUANCE  OF  WESTWARD  VOYAGE       i6i 

5  September  i8,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 

0 

X 

0 
C 
•J. 

•0 

c 

3 

0 

0 

I 

I 

2 

WNW 

sw 

lJ-4 

Strong   reef-topsail    wind,    westerly    swell;   carry- 
ing    reefed    topsails,    foresail,    mainsail,    trysail, 
and  staysails. 

2 

iK 

iK 

3 

2K 

iK 

4 

2K 

NW/W 

sw/w 

iK 

Took  three  reefs  in  topsails. 

S 

i'A 

iK 

6 

2K 

NW 

WSW 

I  ■  3 

7 

2 

WSW'iS 

iK 

Hauled  down  fore-topmast-staysail. 

8 

2 

2;< 

Gale,  heavy  passing  clouds. 

9 

IM 

2% 

Wet;  furled  fore-topsail. 

10 

iK 

2 '4 

Wind  decreasing,  air  chilly. 

II 

1^-4 

NW/W 

sw  w 

2  '4' 

Hauled  up  fore-topmast-staysail. 

12 

I  'i 

2  'i 

I 

iK 

WNW 

SW 

2'i 

Set  fore-topsail. 

2 

iK 

W/N 

sw  s 

iH 

3 

2 

iK 

Topsail  wind. 

4 

2 

W 

SSW  \-i  w 

Hi 

S 

2K 

SSW 

iK 

Let  out  a  reef  in  main-topsail. 

6 

2 

W/S 

S  w 

iK 

At  the  end  of  the  hour  we  made  the  port  tack. 

7 

2 

WSW 

NW.N 

iH 

8 

2  !< 

w  s 

NW    N 

iK 

Topsail  wind. 

9 

3J4 

iVi 

97 

10 

3M 

WSW 

NW'^N 

I  'A 

Reef-topsail  wind. 

II 

3K 

I  ti 

Drizzly. 

12 

3 

NW 

I  Vi 

Wind  comes  in  gusts. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

1%  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours                                                   From  Vaua 

XI 

Z 

3 

w  0 

5^ 

c 

Lat. 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

3 

u 

c 
0 
►J 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

WSW 
!°I9'W 

27 

s 

10' 

W 
2S.6 

41' 

5I°I7'i|    227M 

E 
6°07'S 

24°3S' 

"  Khitrov's  journal:  "On  sick  list:  X4  men" 


l62 


LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

H   September  iq,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 

0 

X 

0 

c 

■0 
e 

2 

I 

3J-i 

wsw 

NW 

2 

Reef-topsail  wind, squally,  drizzly;  took  three  reefs 
in  main-topsail. 

2 

2 

NW^N 

2 

3 

2H 

2 

SquaUy;    furled  topsails;    heavy  westerly  swell. 

4 

I H 

w/s 

NW/N 

3 

S 

i;^ 

W/N 

SW/S 

3 

Topsail  wind  and  unsteady;  came  about  on  star- 
board tack,  set  topsails  reefed. 

6 

iK 

WNW 

sw 

3 

7 

iK 

SWKS 

3 

Gale,  cloudy. 

8 

iK 

W/N 

SW/S 

3 

9 

K 

W 

ssw 

6 

Furled  topsails  and  lowered  sails,  hove  to  under 
trysail  and  main-staysail;  coming  up  to  SW  by  S, 
falling  off  to  S  by  W. 

10 

I 

6 

II 

I 

6 

12 

I 

W/N 

SW/S 

Coming  up  to  SW,  falling  off  to  SSW. 

I 

I 

WNW 

SW"^W 

6 

Coming  up  to  WSW,  falling  off  to  SW  by  S. 

2 

I 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

3 

I 

NW 

SW/WMW 

6 

4 

I 

6 

Coming  up  to  W  by  S,  falling  off  to  SW. 

S 

I 

6 

Reef-topsail  wind,  cloudy. 

6 

I'A 

wsw 

2 

Set  foresail  and  mainsail. 

7 

JJ4 

2H 

I'A 

Set  topsails  and  let  out  a  reef  in  them. 

8 

I'A 

9 

2'A 

NW/N 

W/s 

I'A 

Reef-topsail  wind,  cloudy. 

10 

3'4 

NW 

wsw 

I'A 

II 

I A 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

12 

3 

lJ-4 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

lA  rhumb  E 

I 

n  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

E 

3 

ei 

w  0 

«  e 

c 

4 

c 

Q,3 

a 

B  C 

e 

3 

§ 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

SW/W 
o°04'W 

21. s 

S 
12' 

W 
18 

28' 

Sl°os' 

224K 

E 
6°S8'S 

24°07' 

CONTINUANCE  OF  WESTWARD  VOYAGE       163 

(^  September  20,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

a 

0 

c 

•0 

3 
0 

to 

I 

3 

NW 

wsw 

I ,' •J 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy. 

2 

2H 

iM 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

3 

3 

NW/W 

sw ,  w 

^^ 

At  the  order  of  the  Captain  Commander  there 
were  shifted  from  the  hold  aft  to  the  bow  31  sacks 
of  provisions  and  3  jacks  because  the  bow  was  not 
sufficiently  down   in   the  water. 

4 

3 

2K 

I  w 

5 

IM 

6 

3K 

IM 

7 

2H 

NW/W 

wsw  MS 

IM 

Gusts  of  wind  and  rain. 

8 

2 

I>i 

Topgallantsail  wind,  heavy  passing  clouds  from 
the  west. 

9 

3 

NW/W 

sw/w 

IM 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

10 

3 

NW 

wsw;,s 

I  M 

Light  topsail  wind. 

II 

2'A 

NW/W 

sw/w 

IM 

In  the  south  was  seen  something  that  looked  like 
flashes  of  lightning. 

12 

2  !-j 

sw  ■  i  w 

I  'i 

I 

2?4 

sw/w 

iK 

Chilly,  clear. 

2 

2  1, 

I  'j 

Squally  and  rainy. 

3 

3 

NW 

wsw 

iM 

4 

3 

I  Vj 

5 

3!i 

wsw ' ,  s 

I  "i 

6 

3 

wsw  ! ,  W 

I  "o 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  maintopsail. 

7 

3 

iK 

8 

3 

15^ 

Sunshine. 

9 

2i^ 

NW/N 

w/s 

iVt 

13  men  on  the  sick  list. 

10 

2 

NNW 

w 

I  ^4 

II 

2 
2 

NW/N 

w/s 

I  i» 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy. 

12 

NW 

WSWMW 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

1%  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

F 

rom  Vaua 

.a 
E 
3 

.;  0 

m  C 

5« 

e 

B  C 

.0 
E 
3 
,s 

u 
c 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

SW/W 
4°47'W 

62 

S 

30' 

W 

ss 

8s' 

SO°3S' 

2I3K 

E/S 
i°S3'E 

22''42' 

1 64  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

(^  September  21,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

X 

0 

c 
Ui 

•0 
5 

2 

3 
0 

1 

I 

1% 

NW/N 

w/s 

IJ^ 

Topsail  wind;  let  out  three  reefs  in  main-topsail; 
air  thick. 

2 

2  ',1 

WSWMW 

I  M 

3 

2ii 

NW 

wsw 

I  J'j 

Wind  in  gusts. 

4 

2 'A 

S\V/W>iW 

i>i 

Heavy  westerly  swell. 

5 

2, '4 

wsw 

l5-a 

6 

2^ 

I /J 

Took  one  and  two  reefs  in  main- topsail,  a  second 
reef  in  fore-topsail. 

7 

2 

NW/N 

WSWKW 

8 

2>i 

IK 

9 

2 

IK 

Light  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

10 

I 

IK 

II 

K 

I K 

12 

y. 

NNW 

w 

1^4 

Let  out  the  second  and  first  reefs  in  main-topsail, 
hoisted  jib. 

I 

'A 

NW,N 

WSW 

2 

2 

— 

•0 

c 

0 

Clewed  up  trysail,  hauled  down  topsails  and  stay- 
sails because  there  was  no  wind. 

3 

4 

5 

Northwesterly  swell. 

6 

7 

8 

Unbent  trysail  because  it  needed  repairing  and  in 
its  place  bent  on  another. 

9 

10 

13   men  on  the  sick  list. 

II 

12 

3 

s/w 

W/N 

Topsail  wind;  set  topsails,  staysails,  and  lower 
sails. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iK  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

.a 
S 
3 

.JO 

M   C 

c 

i 

c  c 
—  n  w 

QO 

J3 

E 

3 
Si 

S 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

w/s 

S°o'S 

25 

s 
7' 

w 
24 

37' 

so"  28' 

208  Ji 

E/S 
l°io'E 

22°OS' 

CONTINUANCE  OF  WESTWARD  VOYAGE       165 

(^   September  22,  1741.    After  Midday 


a 
0 

X 

0 

c 

■0 

c 

3 
0 

u 

i 

I 

ii« 

S 

W/N 

Topgallantsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

2 

I  }* 

3 

I 

SE 

Let  out  three  reefs  in  fore-topsails. 

4 

3, 

S 

^•, 

ENE 

Hauled  down  staysails  and  jib,  clewed   up  main- 
sail and  trysail. 

6 

I  '4 

7 

I  ,'4 

8 

I  '4 

Took  two  reefs  in  fore-topsail  and  one  in  main-topsail. 

9 

I  'i 

NNE 

Set  mainsail,  trysail,  and  staysails. 

10 

I 

II 

I  '4 

N 

12 

>. 

Light  wind. 

I 

2 

N    \V 

2 

I  ''1 

3 

I  '-i 

NNW 

\V 

Hoisted  jib,  let  out  a  second  reef  in  fore-topsail. 

4 

I  ■  i 

Moon  and  stars  out. 

S 

2  '4 

N\V 

s\\rw>,w 

Chilly  and  damp. 

6 

2  '4' 

Let  out  third  reef  in  main-topsail. 

7 

3 

VVNW 

SW'iW 

8 

2  '4' 

Topsail  wind,  squally. 

9 

2  'i 

N\V   W 

s\v  w 

I  ',' 

Took  a  reef  in  main-topsail. 

10 

2'i 

NNW 

w 

I '4 

II 

2H 

I'i 

Hauled  down  jib;    reef-topsail  wind. 

12 

2H 

NW/N 

w/s 

I'i 

Took  second  reef  in  fore-topsail  .98 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

F 

rora  Vaua 

.a 

T,   C 

5. 

'si 

ll 

c 

a 

c  c 
—  n  01 

i6^ 

X! 

E 
3 
j: 
Oi 

c 

2 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

w 

36.S 

0' 

w 
36.S 

57' 

so' 28' 

200 

E/S 
o°44'E 

2i°o8' 

*s  Khitrov's  journal  gives  latitude  by  observation  50°  27'.    The  noon  position  for  this 
day  is  therefore  indicated  on  the  chart  (PI.  I)  as  based  on  observation. 


i66  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  September  23,  17 41.     After  Midday 


s 

0 

X 

0 

e 

•0 
C 

5 

2 

3 
0 

u 

a 
t 

V 

I 

2H 

NW/N 

w/s 

iM 

Topsail    wind,    clear;    carrying    reefed    topsails, 
staysails,  and  lower  sails. 

2 

iM 

NW 

WSW 

x'A 

3 

2 

\% 

Westerly  swell,  reef -topsail  wind. 

4 

2I4 

SW/WKW 

iK 

5 

3 

WNW 

sw;^w 

I  '-i 

6 

2K 

iK 

Took  a  second  reef  in  main-topsail. 

7 

2 

sw 

iK 

8 

2 

iK 

Came  about  with  the  wind  and  made  the  port  tack. 

9 

iK 

W 

NNWMW 

2 

10 

iK 

2 

II 

2  '  4 

WSW 

NWHN 

iM 

Took  three  reefs  in  topsails. 

12 

2  '3 

I    !-3 

I 

2 

sw/w 

NW/W 

Furled  topsails;    wind  freshening. 

2 

2 

2>3 

Squally. 

3 

l>i 

IH 

NW>^W 

2 

Set  the  main-topsail  reefed;    reef-topsail  wind. 

4 

sw 

NW/W>^W 

2 

5 

i^. 

sw/w 

NW/W 

2 

Set  fore-topsail. 

6 

2!^ 

I  H 

7 

I  'i 

NW/WViW 

iH 

Topsail  wind. 

8 

2  'A 

iK 

Drizzly. 

9 

iH 

NW/W 

i« 

10 

2 

I  ^4 

Wind  freshening. 

II 

2,1-3 
2>i 

NW/W!iW 

I '4 

Undersail  wind. 

12 

Heavy  swell  from  SW;    furled  topsails. 

Variation 
of 

Compass 
iX  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

S 
3 
a 
0: 

2 

c 

M 

c  c 

3  E.I 

S 

3 

X 

J 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

NW 
6°ii'W 

30 

N 
19' 

W 

23. s 

37' 

SO°47' 

192K 

E/S 
I4°6'E 

20°3l' 

CONTINUANCE  OF  WESTWARD  VOYAGE       167 

1/  September  24,  1741.     After  Midday 


u 
3 
0 

S 

0 

c 

T5 

e 

I 

3 
0 

0 

I 

iVa 

SW 

NW/WMW 

2;'j 

Strong  undersail  wind,  drizzly,  wet;  furled  foresail 
and  mainsail,  hove  to  under  the  main-staysail  and 
trysail;    coming  up  to  W;iN,  falling  off  to  NW. 

2 

I'A 

sw/s 

NW'W^W 

s"^ 

3 

I'A 

5 'A 

4 

I 'A 

S"4 

Gale. 

S 

I  A 

wsw 

NWMN 

5-' J 

By  the  will  of  God  died  of  scurvy  the  grenadier 
Andrei  Trctyakov. 

6 

I  'A 

5'i 

Coming  up  to  NW  by  W.  falling  off  to  NNW. 

7 

I'A 

NW'i'N 

6 

8 

I'A 

6 

Wind  going  down  a  little. 

9 

I'A 

6 

10 

I  'i 

6 

Drizzly. 

II 

I '«' 

6 

12 

I  'i 

6 

I 

I  !4 

6 

Undersail  wind. 

3 

I'A 

6 

3 

w 

NNWMW 

3'A 

Set  foresail,   mainsail,  hauled  down  staysail. 

4 

2'A 

I A 

Set  main-topsail  with  three  reefs  in  it. 

S 

lA 

6 

iK 

7 

I '4 

Set  fore-topsail  with  three  reefs. 

8 

2'A 

I  '-J 

Hauled  up  topmast-staysails. 

9 

3 

I  '.J 

Reef-topsail  wind,  cloudy. 

10 

2K 

w  s 

NW/N 

I  '4 

Let  out  reef  in  topsails. 

II 

2K 

I  '< 

Lowered  the  dead  body  into  the  sea. 

12 

3!-^ 

wsw 

NW 

I  'i 

Clear  with  passing  clouds.* 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours                                                 From  Vaua 

J3 
B 
3 
s: 

2 

S  c 

c 

a 

e 

it:  g 

5.S 

Lat. 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

J5 

E 

3 

Oi 

e 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

N/E 
i°o6'E 

40.7 

N 
39.7' 

E 
8.7 

14' 

1 
Si°27'      199K 

E 
6°3o'S 

20°4S' 

••  Khitrov's  journal  gives  latitude  by  observation  si°  30'.     The  noon  position  for  this 
day  is  therefore  indicated  on  the  chart  (PI.  I)  as  based  on  observation. 


168  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

5   September  25,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

0 
C 

•0 

1 

3 
0 

0 

>< 

M 

I 

2K 

WSW 

NW 

iK 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds;  let  out 
two  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

2 

3K 

I K 

3 

2% 

sw/w 

NW/W 

iJ< 

Sighted  land  W  by  S  and  ENE  about  7  miles. 
We  take  them  to  be  islands, mo  and  between 
these  islands  are  other  islands.  On  the  land 
in  sight  there  is  a  high  snow-covered  volcano 
WNWKN  12  German  miles,  w  We  think 
the  volcano  is  on  the  American  mainland. lii^ 

4 

i'A 

sw 

SSE 

i>a 

Sounded  but  did  not  find  bottom,  made  the 
starboard  tack. 

S 

2ji 

sw/s 

SEMS 

iK 

6 

2K 
2K 

s/w 

SE/EKE 

I  '-i 

7 

S/E 

E/S 

I 'i 

Took  two  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

8 

3'A 

Undersail  wind,  drizzly,  wet;  we  were  obliged 
to  carry  topsails  because  of  the  land  sighted  in 
the  far  distance. 

9 

3H 

s 

ESE 

I  'i 

10 

3% 

SE/EViE 

1% 

Took  three  reefs  in  topsails. 

II 

2'/, 

s/w 

SE/E 

I ', 

12 

2'A 

SE/EKE 

I ', 

Heavy  rain. 

I 

2K 

I  ■; 

2 

2y, 

SE/EJ^E 

lli 

Squally,    rainy,    gale    blowing;    furled    topsails. 

3 

2'A 

s 

ESE 

iK 

4 

2 

I^i 

5 

iK 

3 

Strong  undersail  wind  and  a  heavy  swell. 

6 

IK 

3 

7 

IK 

3 

Clear  with  passing  clouds;  looked  for  land  from 
the  main  topmast  but  did  not  see  any  though 
we  could   see   s  or  6  German   miles  away. 

8 

iK 

S/W 

SE/E 

2^i 

9 

2 

s 

ESE 

2% 

10 

2K 

s/w 

SE/E 

2'A 

II 

3 

s 

ESE 

2'A 

12 

2A 

SE/E>^E 

2'A 

Wind  freshening,  heavy  swell. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

\'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

,0 

s 

3 
Ji 

si 

a 

0  c 

—  «  to 

5^^ 

2 

3 
Si 
P5 

c 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

ESE 
8°07'E 

40. S 

S 

10.4' 

E 
34.3 

62.7' 

SI'IV' 

202'A 

E 
6°53'S 

21*48' 

"»  Probably  Adak  and  Atka  Islands. 

">■  Probably  the  volcano  on  Great  Sitkin  Island. 

'<|2  Khitrov's  journal:  "Sighted  land,  W  point  W  by  S,  and  E  point  ENE  about 
8  miles,  which  seems  to  be  an  island;  a  snow-covered  mountain,  which  we  think  is  on 
the  mainland,  WNW>iN  12  German  miles." 


LANDFALL:  ADAK  AND  ATKA  ISLANDS        169 

}y  September  26,  1741.     After  Midday 


i 

X 

5 

u 
3 

0 

I 

2H 

sw 

SSEME 

3 

Reef-undersail  wind,  squally;  carrying  foresail, 
mainsail  reefed,  and  trysail. 

2 

2 

3 

3 

iH 

3 

4 

iVa 

3 

5 

2 

3 

Heavy  storm. 

6 

2 

3 

Furled  foresail  and  mainsail,  hauled  up  main- 
staysail,  and  hove  to. 

7 

iK 
iK 

w 

SSW 

5;  J 

8 

S'j 

9 

iK 

S') 

10 

iV, 

5'j 

Wind  going  down  a  little,  drizzly  and  chilly. 

II 

iM 

6 

12 

iM 

6 

I 

iM 

6 

2 

I 

6 

3 

I 

6 

4 

1% 

3 

Set  foresail  and  mainsail,  lowered   main-staysail. 

5 

iH 

w/s 

SAV 

3 

Reef-topsail  wind,  set  reefed  topsails  with  all 
reefs  in  them. 

6 

I'A 

s 

2 

7 

I'A 

2 

8 

1% 

sw/w 

S/E!^E 

2 

16  men  on  the  sick  list. 

9 

iH 

sw 

SSES'E 

I  Ji 

10 

2 

I  'a 

Reef -topsail  wind,  cloudy. 

II 

2'A 

sw/s 

SE/S 

I'A 

12 

2>i 

I  H 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'/i  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

J2 

E 
3 

JO 
X  C 

c 

13 

i 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

S 

a 

§ 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

SE/S 
0°04'S 

49 

s 
34' 

E 
22.6 

36.7' 

so" 43' 

210M 

E/S 
z'lS'S 

22°2.';' 

I70  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

(2)  September  27,  1741.      After  Midday 


3 
0 

K 

0 

c 

■s 
c 

I 

3 
0 

u 

I 

2K 

ssw 

SE 

i>^ 

Topsail  wind,  cold,  cloudy;  carrying  reefed  top- 
sails, staysails,  and  lower  sails. 

2 

2  3-4 

SEKE 

iM 

3 

2J4 

I  }i 

Took  three  reefs  in  topsails. 

4 

2K 

IK 

Lowered  staysails. 

S 

2H 

s/w 

SE/E 

3 

Gale,  squalls,  heavy  swell;  furled  topsails. 

6 

IK 

3 

7 

iK 

3 

8 

I  J-i 

3 

Wind  going  down  a  little. 

9 

iM 

ssw 

SE 

S.'i" 

Reef-topsail  wind,  cold. 

10 

iK 

3% 

II 

iM 

3  !  i 

Rain. 

12 

I'A 

sw 

SSE 

3'4 

Shifting  winds,  drizzly. 

I 

I  'i 

SSE'iE 

3"4 

2 

I  ^4 

2 

ssw 

SE 

3  "4 

3 

sw/s 

SE/S 

3 

Squally,  stars  out. 

4 

2"< 

3 

Set  topsails  with  three  reefs  in  them. 

5 

2M 

sw 

SSEJ4E 

iM 

6 

2K 

iH 

Strong  reef-topsail  wind,  cold. 

7 

3 

iK 

8 

2y* 

iM 

Furled  fore-topsail;  clear  with  passing  clouds; 
furled  main-topsail. 

9 

iV, 

S>^ 

Heavy  storm;  furled  foresail  and  mainsail;  hauled 
up  main-staysail,  and  hove  to. 

10 

iH 

S'A 

Coming  up  to  S  by  E,  falling  off  to  SE. 

II 

iK 

SM 

Strong  gale  blowing,  heavy  sea  running,  clear 
with  passing  clouds;  carrying  trysail  and  main- 
staysail. 

12 

1^4 

S"-J 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iX  rhumb  E 

In  2a  hours 

From  Vaua 

S 

3 

2 

—  ro 

Q-l 

c 

rt 
^ 

■S  ^  to 

E 

c 

0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

SE/E 

2°23'E 

46.7 

S 
24' 

E 
40 

60.4' 

S0°I9' 

221K 

E/S 
i°ii'E 

23°25' 

DRIVEN  BACK  BY  STORMS 

(^  September  28,  1741.     After  Midday 


171 


3 
0 

0 

c 

t4 

C 

1 

3 
0 

0 

a 

s 

1) 

I 

2 

wsw 

S,HE 

SK 

Heavy  storm,  clear  with  passing  clouds;  carry- 
ing main-staysail  and  trysail. 

2 

2 

5M 

3 

2 

S''i 

4 

2 

S!^ 

Coming  up  to  S  by  W,  falling  off  to  SSE. 

S 

2 

5 'A 

Wet. 

6 

2 

S'A 

7 

2 

S 

SH 

Lowered  fore  and  main  yards  on  account  of  the 
storm. 

8 

2 

■S  'i 

9 

2 

5"i 

Squalls,  rain  and  hail. 

10 

2 

S  'j 

Coming  up  to  SSW,  falling  off  to  SSE. 

II 

2 
2 

sv. 

12 

5;i 

Stars  out.  chilly. 

I 

2 

\v  s 

S'iW 

SH 

Coming  up  to  SSW,  falling  off  to  S  by  E. 

2 

2 

w 

SW'jVV 

S  H 

Coming  up  to  SW  by  S,  falling  off  to  S. 

3 

2 

55^ 

4 

2 

W/N 

SSW>iW 

SK 

Coming  up  to  SW.  falling  off  to  S  by  W. 

S 

2 

SSW^W 

5M 

Coming  up  to  SW  by  S,  falling  off  to  SyaE. 

6 

2 

SJ-i 

7 

2 

SK 

8 

2 

SM 

9 

2 

ssw 

S'j 

Coming  up  to  SW,  falling  off  to  S. 

10 

2 

SH 

Heavy  storm,  occasional  rain. 

II 

2 

5'^ 

12 

2 

S'i 

Carrying  main-staysail  and  trysail. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'A  rhumb  E 

I 

n  24  hours 

From  \'aua 

S 

^0 
X  C 

Q-J 

-0 

5  = 

a 

J 

c  c 
—  a  p 

5^^ 

J3 

c 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

SE/S 
4°48'E 

46. s 

s 
36.6' 

E 
29.2 

46' 

49°42' 

231  K 

E/S 
o°42'S 

24°Il' 

172 


LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  September  20,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

0 
C 

u 
3 

0 

u 

,3 

I 

2 

W   N 

ssw 

SM 

Heavy  storm,  squalls,  rain,  and  hail. 

2 

2 

SH 

3 

2 

SM 

Carrj'ing  trysail  and  main-staysail. 

4 

2 

S,'4 

5 

2 

S!i 

Coming  up  to  SW.  falling  off  to  S. 

6 

IK 

SI2 

Heavy  clouds  overhead,  chilly,  clear  with  pass- 
ing clouds. 

7 

iK 

5'A 

8 

iK 

S'A 

0 

iK 

s  ■  i 

At  times  the  wind  comes  in  gusts. 

10 

iK 

S!-i 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

11 

iK 

S'j 

Occasional  rain. 

12 

iM 

S  'i 

Strong   reef-undersail    wind,    weather   as    before. 

I 

iM 

WNW 

SSW,'<\V 

S  '  i 

2 

iK 

5'i 

3 

i>i 

S'A 

Coming  up  to  SWJ^W,  falling  off  to  S. 

4 

iJ4 

5!i 

Squalls. 

5 

i>i 

W 

S/WKW 

6 

Undersail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

6 

iK 

6 

7 

iK 

6 

Coming  up  to  SW  by  S,  falling  off  to  S;^E. 

8 

iK 

6 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

9 

I 

w  s 

s 

SM 

Wind  going  down;  set  mainsail,  hauled  down 
staysail. 

10 

I 

S'i 

Coming  up  to  SSW,  falling  off  to  SSE. 

II 

I 

5  '  J 

Wind  in  gusts,  heavy  passing  clouds. 

12 

I 

w 

SMW 

S>i 

Coming  up  to  SSW3^iW.  falling  off  to  SE  '^E; 
heavy  swell  from  W. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

lyi  rhumb  E 

I 

n  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

z 

3 

.JO 

5.= 

a 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

J3 
S 
3 

c 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

SSE 
6°o8'E 

36 

S 

31. s' 

E 
17.2 

26' 

49''ll' 

1    238  J^ 

E/S 
2°i6'S 

24°37' 

DRIVEN  BACK  BY  STORMS 

^  September  30,  1741.     After  Midday 


173 


3 

0 

X 

1 

•0 
C 

3 
0 

0 

>> 

i 

.J 

I 

I 

sw/w 

SSE  ME 

S>j' 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy;  carrying  mainsail  and 
trysail. 

2 

I 

5 'A 

3 

I 

5'i 

Wind  tore  the  catharpings  of  the  shrouds  on 
the  right  side  of  the  two  main  shrouds,  on  which 
we  made  a  shroud  with  knob. 

4 

I 

S'a 

S 

I 

5''i 

6 

I 

S>i 

Westerly  swell. 

7 

V, 

5  A 

Wind  going  down. 

8 

'A 

5  A 

Weather  as  before;  from  noon  until  midnight 
we  laid  the  course  on  the  average  between  com- 
ing up  to  and  falling  off  to  the  wind. 

9 

H 

sw  s 

SESE 

5'-' 

10 

K 

SJi 

II 

H 

s 

ESE 

S.H 

12 

>,i 

sw 

SE   S 

s-i 

I 

I '  J 

SSE 

SW 

2  Vj 

Undersail  wind;  set  foresail,  made  the  port  tack, 
set  mainsail. 

2 

2 

2H 

2M 

3 

2  '-J 

4 

2 'A 

2  '-3 

Reef-undersail  wind,  squalls,  wet. 

S 

4 

SE/S 

SWJiS 

I 

6 

S 

SW/S 

I 

Heavy  storm,  rain  and  squalls. 

7 

I^ 

SE 

SSWMW 

6^4 

Furled  foresail  and  mainsail,  hove  to  under  try- 
sail; coming  up  to  SW  by  S,  falling  off  to  S  by 

w;-iw. 

8 

iK 

6 'A 

9 

i^ 

SW/S 

6  A 

Coming  up  to  S  by  W,  falling  off  to  SW  by  W. 

10 

I^a 

6A 

Because  of  the  gale  the  fore  and  mainyards  were 
lowered  to  half-mast. 

II 

IK 

s/w 

w 

6  A 

Reefed  trysail. 

12 

IK 

6  A 

Terrific  storm  and  squall. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iK  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

E 
a: 

JO 

K  C 

c 

a 

c  c 

5^^ 

B 

3 

B 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

w 

II 

0' 

w 

II 

16.8' 

49°II' 

236 

E/S 

2°2S'S 

24°20' 

174  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

1^  October  i,  1741.     After  Midday 


k4 

3 

1 

u: 

T3 
S 

3 

0 
u 

to 
■s 

I 

2 

ssw 

w 

6J^ 

Frightful  storm,  heavy  squalls,  waves  washing 
over  the  deck. 

2 

2 

6K 

3 

2 

6K 

4 

2 

6!^ 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

S 

2 

sw/s 

WMN 

(>'A 

Heavy  clouds,  squalls. 

6 

2 

bV, 

7 

2 

sw 

WNWMW 

6K 

8 

2 

6"^ 

Terrific  storm  and  great  waves. 

9 

2 

6!^ 

10 

2 

6!^ 

II 

2 

6;^ 

Heavy  rain. 

12 

2 

6'^ 

Drizzly. 

I 

2 

6M 

2 

2 
2 

WNWMW 

6"^ 

3 

b% 

4 

2 

6M 

Heavy  clouds,  wet,  stormy;  one  of  the  lanyards  to 
the  main  shroud  on  the  left  side  tore  loose;  also 
the  main-topmast  stay,  which  we  repaired. 

S 

2 

sw/s 

NW/WMW 

6^ 

6 

2 

6K 

7 

2 

6K 

8 

2 

6H 

9 

2 

sw/w 

NW>iW 

6>^ 

On  the  right  side  the  gun  port  bulwark  was  carried 
out  to  sea,  and  we  nailed  boards  in  its  place. 

10 

2 

6J4 

II 

2 

6J4 

Heavy  gale,  wet,  squally;  all  day  the  waves  from 
both  sides  washed   over  the  deck. 

12 

2 

sw 

NW 

6K 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iK  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

F 

rom  Vaua 

J2 

E 

3 
s: 

*^  0 
CO  B 

C 

—   TO 

c 

Q,3 

4.i 

a 

►J 

c  c 

:eI 

E 
3 

Si 

ti 

c 

.3 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

N/E 
S°t3'E 

46 

N 

44- 2' 

E 
13 

20' 

49°SS' 

230  "-i 

E/S 
o°i6'E 

24°4o' 

DRIVEN  BACK  BY  STORMS 

5  October  2,  1741.     After  Midday 


175 


i 

X 

0 
C 

■t3 
C 

I 

0 

u 

t 

I 

2 

wsw 

NWMN 

ty. 

Terrific  storm,  heavy  squalls  and  high  seas, 
drizzly;    carrying  trysail. 

2 

2 

6  '-i 

3 

2 

6>i 

Unbent  the  sprit  and  took  a  reef  in  it  and  made  it 
ready  in  place  of  the  trysail,  because  in  this  storm 
it  was  not  likely  that  the  trysail  could  hold  out. 

4 

2 

6K 

s 

2 

6M 

6 

2 

6  "4 

7 

iK 

w/s 

NW/N 

6  H 

Sea  going  down  a  bit. 

8 

iJ-i 

6M 

Weather  as  before. 

9 

IH 

6'.i 

10 

i?i 

6"j 

Heavy  clouds,  rain. 

1 1 

I  'j' 

wsw 

NW'jN 

7 

12 

1^4 

7 

Strong  gale,  stars  out. 

I 

l'/2 

7 

Cloudy,  chilly. 

2 

iM 

7 

3 

I  '4 

7 

A  regular  storm. 

4 

I '4 

7 

S 

I '4 

7 

Cloudy. 

6 

I  "4 

sw/w 

NWj;w 

7 

7 

7 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

8 

sw 

S/E'iE 

6 

Gale  blowing.  At  8:30  set  fore-staysail,  came 
about  with  the  wind,  and  hove  to  on  the  star- 
board tack;  examined  the  damaged  shrouds  on  the 
left  side  and  repaired  them. 

9 

SSE 

6 

10 

6 

II 

6 

12 

6 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I  %  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

Si 

E 
3 

A 

J,  0 

0-,  C 

c 

2 
c 

c  c 

—  cu  » 

E 

3 

at 
% 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

NE/E 
o°23'E 

34  M 

N 
19' 

E 

28.7 

44' 

50°I4';    240  ■< 

E/S 
i°4o'E 

2S°24' 

176  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

Tp  October  3,  1741.     After  Midday 


u 
0 

a 

0 

c 

•0 
c 

3 
0 

u 

1 

I 

I 

s/w 

SE/E 

SH 

Undersail  wind,  heavy  SW  swell. 

2 

I 

5  5^ 

Drizzly,  rainy;  carrying  trysail  and  main-staysail. 

3 

'A 

SM 

Wind  going  down;  set  mainsail,  lowered  main-stay- 
sail, patched  the  trysail  which  had  been  damaged. 

4 

% 

S!-i 

s 

'A 

S-'i 

6 

A 

5 'A 

Set  trysail. 

7 

Vt 

S/E 

E/S 

SA 

8 

H 

SA 

9 

K 

SA 

Undersail  wind. 

10 

I 

5  "3 

Wind  freshening. 

II 

I 

S'i 

12 

I 

S'-i 

I 

4M 

ESE 

SW 

SJ^ 

Set  foresail,  came  about  with  the  wind  on  the  port 
tack,  and  went  our  way;     heavy  rain. 

2 

3M 

7 

3 

I 

SW 

SSEME 

7 

Undersail  wind;  starboard  tack,  hove  to  under 
trysail,  furled  foresail. 

4 

I 

7 

S 

iM 

SSW 

SE'iE 

6 

6 

iM 

6 

Heavy  clouds,  rain;    set  main-staysail. 

7 

ij^ 

i  6 

8 

iH 

6 

Very  chilly  and  damp. 

9 

iVi 

6 

10 

iM 

SW 

SSE 

6 

Gale. 

II 

iA 

6 

This  day  while  we  were  hove  to  we  laid  the  course 
on  the  average  between  coming  up  to  and  falling 
off  to  the  wind. 

13 

i'A 

S/EKE 

6 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

s 

3 
X 

J,  0 
»  c 

5^ 

i 

c 

Dist.  in 

German 

Miles 

Si 

e 

3 

.c 

a 

a 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

E/S 
7°2i'E 

IS 

s 

l' 

E 
147 

23' 

SO°I3'     243J< 

E/S 
i°4S'E 

2S°47' 

DRIVEN  BACK  BY  STORMS 

^  October  4,  1741.     After  Midday 


177 


00 

1 

•a 

c 

3 

0 

1 

J 

I 

I^ 

sw/w 

S/E 

6'A 

Strong  undersail  wind,  rain;  carrying  trysail  and , 
main-staysail. 

2 

l!4 

6'i 

3 

IJ^ 

w/s 

S'iW 

6'j 

Squalls. 

4 

IM 

6,"j 

Storm;    hauled  down  main-staysail. 

S 

I '4 

w 

ssvv 

6', 

6 

iK 

6Jj 

Wind  as  before,  drizzly  and  very  chilly. 

7 

i^ 

6'i 

8 

iM 

6y, 

9 

iM 

W/N 

SSWHW 

6', 

10 

I'A 

6'. 

Light  rain. 

11 

i'A 

6'. 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

12 

I'A 

6', 

I 

t'A 

63, 

2 

I'A 

sw/s 

7 

Reef-undersail  wind,  heavy  sea,  drizzly  and  rainy. 

3 

iV* 

7 

4 

I'A 

7 

Wind  comes  in  gusts. 

S 

I 

SSWJ^W 

6 

Undersail  wind,  chilly. 

6 

I 

6 

Hoisted   main-staysail. 

7 

I 

SM 

Set  mainsail,  hauled  down  main-staysail. 

8 

I 

SK 

At  the  end  of  the  hour  set  the  foresail. 

9 

I  'A 

w  s 

S'W 

I'A 

Hoisted  topsails  with  three  reefs  in  each. 

10 

I'A 

wsw 

s 

I'A 

II 

I'A 

I'A 

12 

1  'A 

sw  w 

S/E 

I '4 

Strong  reef-topsail  wind,  drizzly. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

r-X  rhumb  E 

I 

n  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

5 

.J  0 
x  C 

5S 

-2 

^  0 

rt 

Dist.   in 

Gorman 

Miles 

B 

3 

DC 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

SSE 
7°29'E 

30 

S 
26' 

E 
IS 

233' 

49°47' 

249K 

E/S 
o''28'E 

26°IO' 

178  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  October  5,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 

0 

X 

1 

■0 

c 

2 

3 
0 

u 

a 
.J 

1 

2M 

SW 

SSE>iE 

K 

Reef-topsail  wind,  westerly  swell;  carrying  fore- 
sail, mainsail,  reefed  topsails,  trysail,  and  top- 
mast-staysails. 

2 

3 

ssw 

SE 

K 

3 

3 

Yi 

4 

2?4 

s/w 

SE/E 

iK 

Lowered  staysails;    rainy. 

S 

3 

s 

WSW 

i>^ 

At  the  beginning  of  the  hour  made  the  port  tack. 

6 

3 

S   E 

WSW  'A  W 

iK 

7 

3H 

SSE 

SW^W 

iM 

Strong  reef-topsail  wind  and  rain. 

8 

3 

S   E 

SW/W 

iH 

Squalls. 

9 

3  "4 

iM 

Furled  fore-topsail. 

10 

3 

SSE 

SW 

2J4 

Furled  main-topsail;  reef-undersail  wind,  heavy 
downpour. 

II 

2 

2>4 

12 

I  H 

2}4 

Furled  mainsail,  hauled  up  main-staysail. 

I 

I  'A 

S 

WSW 

2% 

Light  rain. 

2 

2 

SSW 

w 

2H 

Set  main-topsail  reefed. 

3 

2 

SW 

WNWJ,N 

2H 

Chilly,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

4 

2\'i 

2H 

5 

2H 

SW/W 

NW/W 

2-^ 

Storm,  furled  main-topsail. 

6 

I 

WSW 

S 

4 

Made  starboard  tack. 

7 

IK 

SJ^E 

4 

8 

I  "^ 

4 

Strong  reef-topsail  wind. 

9 

H^i 

SW/W 

S/EME 

4 

10 

I  'i 

4 

II 

I  /4 

4 

Storm;  furled  foresail,  hove  to  under  main-stay- 
sail and  trysail. 

12 

I 

WSW 

SME 

SK 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I  U  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

XI 

E 
3 

X. 

a: 

J  0 

ii 

i 

c 

J 

c  c 

•"eI 
5^^ 

X: 

B 

3 

c 
0 
.J 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

WSW 
o''39'S 

16 

S 
6.2' 

W 
14.5 

22' 

49  41 

246  M 

E/S 
0°02'S 

25°48' 

DRIVEN  BACK  BY  STORMS 

(^   October  6,  1741.     After  Midday 


179 


a 
0 
X 

0 

B 

•0 

c 

3 
0 

u 

1 

1 

I'A 

wsw 

SME 

SJ-J 

Stormy,  clear  with  passing  clouds,  wet;  carrying 
trysail  and  main-staysail. 

2 

1 15 

S  ■  i 

3 

I^-a 

sw/w 

S  /E  H  E 

S  'A 

4 

I'A 

5 'A 

Reefed  trysail. 

S 

I'A 

6 

Squalls. 

6 

I'A 

6 

Heavy  clouds,  chilly. 

7 

Wi 

6 

Waves  from  both  sides  washing  over  the  deck. 

8 

I 'A 

6 

9 

I  'A 

sw 

SSEHE 

6 

Heavy  storm,  wet. 

10 

I'A 

6'i 

Hauled  down  main-staysail. 

II 

lA 

6 'A 

12 

I'A 

6"i 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

I 

I  '  i 

6 'A 

2 

15^ 

6"i 

3 

Iji 

wsw 

S'E 

bM 

Wind  going  down  a  bit. 

4 

I  VJ 

6'-i 

5 

I'A 

6'A 

Light  rain. 

6 

I'A 

6'A 

7 

I  '^ 

w/s 

SKW 

6 

Stormy,  set  main-staysail. 

8 

i!'i 

6 

9 

I  li 

6 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

10 

I'A 

6 

II 

I'A 

6 

Weather  as  before,  wet. 

12 

I'A 

6 

Heavy  westerly  swell. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I'A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

J3 
S 
3 

x: 
as 

".  e 

^2 

a 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

J3 

s 

3 

c 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

ESE 
o°o8'E 

33 

S 

I2.S' 

E 
30.4 

4S.7' 

49°29' 

2SSK 

E/S 

0°2I'S 

26°34' 

i8o  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  October  7,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

X 

0 

c 

■a 
e 

3 
0 

u 

I 

I>i 

W/S 

SMW 

6 

Heavy  storm,  clear  with  passing  cloud;  carry- 
ing trysail  and  main-staysail. 

2 

I'A 

6 

3 

I'A 

6 

Chilly. 

4 

iH 

5'A 

Rain. 

5 

i« 

5'A 

Terrific  storm. 

6 

iK 

S'4 

7 

iH 

5'A 

Squalls  and  rain. 

8 

iH 

5'A 

9 

I'A 

6 

10 

iK 

6 

II 

i!< 

6 

Storm  going  down  a  bit. 

12 

I '  f 

wsw 

SKE 

6 

I 

I 

w,s 

SViW 

6 

Undersail  wind. 

2 

I 

S 

3 

iH 

w 

S/WMW 

S 

Set  mainsail,  lowered  main-staysail. 

4 

I'A 

5 

S 

iVi 

WNW 

SW"4S 

5 

Reef -topsail  wind.  cold. 

6 

2 '4 

NW/W 

sw/w 

1 34 

Set  foresail  and  reefed  topsails. 

7 

2,'< 

I K 

S 

2 

SWKW 

I  '  4 

Hauled  up  topmast-staysails. 

9 

2'A 

sw/w 

iK 

Rain,  heavy  westerly  swell;  during  the  day  the 
course  was  kept  between  coming  up  to  and 
falling  off  to.  Took  an  observation  which  gave 
latitude  48  "43',  but  on  account  of  the  swell  no 
account  was  taken  of  it. 

10 

2'A 

SWMW 

iK 

II 

2'A 

iK 

12 

2H 

iK 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

of 

Compass 

1  'A  rhumb  E 

J2 
S 

3 

^1 

ii 

c 

.3 

B  C 

—  a  M 

J3 

E 

3 

§ 

By    Dead 
Reckoning 

s 

8''36'E 

30 

s 
29.8' 

E 

4-5 

6.8' 

48°S9' 

2S9 

E/S 
I°52'S 

26°4I t 

i 


DRIVEN  BACK  BY  STORMS 

1^   October  8,  1741.     After  Midday 


I8l 


u 

a 
0 

a 

0 

C 

c 

1 

0 

0 

>> 

« 

I 

2K 

NW/W 

sw^w 

I  M 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy,  chilly;  carrying  reefed 
topsails,  foresail,  mainsail,  trysail,  and  topmast- 
staysails. 

2 

2K 

1  "i 

3 

2H 

Ui 

Heavy  clouds,  squalls. 

4 

2K 

I  H 

Strong  westerly  swell. 

s 

2K 

I>3 

The  trysail  stay  parted,  which  we  repaired. 

6 

2M 

iM 

7 

2 

iK 

8 

2 

2 

9 

2'4 

2 

Squalls  and  rain. 

10 

iK 

WNW 

sw 

2 

II 

i^i 

2 

\2 

2 

SWMS 

2 

I 

1  Yi 

W/N 

sw/s 

2 

Topsail  wind  and  unsteady. 

2 

I'A 

2 

3 

I'A 

2 

4 

iV, 

2 

S 

iK 

W 

ssw 

2 

Light  wind,  cloudy. 

6 

'A 

w/s 

NW/N 

2 

At  6:30  we  wore  ship  and  made  the  port  tack. 

7 

I'A 

sw 

WNW 

iM 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

8 

2 

ssw 

WMN 

I   '-3 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

9 

2K 

W 

I  'A 

10 

3 

s/w 

WKS 

Reef -topsail  wind. 

II 

4M 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

12 

4J4 

W ,  s 

Wind  freshening;  hauled  down  topmast-staysails, 
took  three  reefs  in  topsails. 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

of 

Compass 

1%  rhumb  E 

a 

3 

si 

as 

JO 

5^ 

g 

G9 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

XI 

B 

a 
s: 

§ 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

wsw 

2°43'S 

41.7 

s 
17.8' 

w 

37.8 

S8' 

48°4I' 

2SlK 

E/S 
2°l8'S 

2S°43' 

1 82  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

5  October  p,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 

0 

X 

0 

e 

-5 
c 

2 

3 

0 

4) 

I 

A,% 

S/E 

wsw 

I 

Topsail  wind,  cold,  drizzly;  carrying  reefed  lop- 
sails,  foresail,  mainsail,  trysail. 

2 

3K 

I 

Furled  fore-topsail  because  of  the  gale. 

3 

3J^ 

I  '4 

Furled  main-topsail. 

4 

iK 

iM 

5 

2 

SW/W"^W 

6 

At  s  :30  furled  foresail  and  hove  to  under  main- 
staysail  and  trysail. 

6 

I  ^i 

6 

7 

I  Vi 

ssw 

WMN 

5 

Heavy  swell  from  south. 

8 

iM 

5 

Set  mainsail,  lowered  main-staysail. 

9 

iM 

5 

Drizzly  and  rainy. 

10 

iM 

5 

Wind  freshening. 

II 

I  .'.J 

6 

Furled  mainsail,  hauled  up  main-staysail. 

12 

I    !-2 

sw  /s 

WNWJiW 

6 

X 

iM 

6 

2 

iM 

sw 

NW/W'iW 

6 

Terrific  storm. 

3 

iK 

6 

4 

iM 

6 

Heavy  squalls. 

5 

iM 

wsw 

NWMN 

6 

6 

iH 

6 

7 

T.% 

w/s 

NNW 

6 

The  lanyard  of  the  main  shroud  on  the  left  side 
parted,  which  we  repaired. 

8 

iM 

w 

N/WMW 

6 

9 

iK 

W/N 

NMW 

6K 

Terrific  gale  blowing;  hauled  down  main-staysail, 
carrying  only  the  reefed  trysail. 

lO 

i« 

6K 

II 

6K 

12 

ij< 

6M 

Heavy  squalls,  and  the  lee  side  of  the  ship  is 
under  water. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

ij<  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

Si 

E 

3 

Si 

»J  0 
m  a 

c 

—  CO 

J 

c  c 

J3 

E 

3 

OS 

C 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

N 
8°39'W 

22 

N 
21.7' 

w 

3-3 

s' 

49°03' 

249 

E,/S 

2°I0'S 

2S°38' 

J 


DRIVEN  BACK  BY  STORMS 

T^   October  lo,  1741.     After  Midday 


183 


u 

5 

0 
B 

1 

3 
0 

a 
t 

I 

I'A 
I'A 

WNW 

NKE 

6 

Storm  and  squalls,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

2 

6 

3 

iH 

6 

Carrying  reefed  trysail. 

4 

ij'i 

6 

5 

I  ,'3 

6 

Thick  clouds,  rain. 

6 

I  ,'4 

6 

7 

iM 

W/N 

NMW 

5:3 

Storm. 

8 

1% 

S,"3 

Hauled  up  main-staysail. 

9 

I'A 

S"i 

Hail,  squalls. 

10 

I'A 

5!-^ 

II 

I'l 

6 

Terrific  storm,  lowered  main-staysail. 

12 

I'A 

6 

I 

I'A 

6 

2 

I'A 

6 

3 

I'A 

6 

Have  difficulty  in  carrying  trysail  because  of 
the  strong  wind. 

4 

I  'A 

WNW 

N'/iE 

6 

5 

I  '1 

W   N 

N 

6 

Frightful  squalls. 

6 

I  .'3 

6 

Hail. 

7 

ij^ 

6 

Snow,  cold. 

8 

I'A 
I'A 

6 

9 

6 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

10 

I'A 

6 

II 

I'A 

6 

Heavy  sea  running,  washing  over  the  deck  from 
both  sides. 

12 

I'A 

In 

24  hours 

From  V^aua 

of 

Compass 

iK  rhumb  E 

J3 

3 

JO 

a 

"  c 

« 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

J2 

s 

3 

OS 

c 

0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

E/N 
I°I4'E 

34 

N 
■    6' 

E 
33.4 

SI' 

49°09' 

256 

E/S 

I°27'S 

26° 29' 

1 84  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

(^  October  ii,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

0 

c 

T3 
C 

5 

0 

a 

I 

i'A 

W/N 

N>4W 

6 

Storm,  squalls,  clear  with  passing  clouds;  carry- 
ing trysail. 

2 

iM 

6 

3 

iM 

6 

4 

W 

N/WMW 

6 

Storm. 

S 

1J4 

6 

Hoisted  main-staysail. 

6 

iK 

6 

7 

iK 

6 

8 

6 

Reef-undersail  wind. 

9 

^ 

6 

Cloudy. 

10 

N/W 

6 

Gusts  of  wind,  heavy  clouds. 

11 

6 

12 

6 

Stars  out,  chilly. 

I 

K 

6M 

2 

K 

6K 

Undersail  wind,  westerly  swell. 

3 

M 

N/WMW 

S'j 

Set  mainsail. 

4 

M 

5  ,'4 

Hauled  down  main-staysail. 

5 

I'A 

W/N 

sw/s 

iM 

Reef-topsail  wind,  set  foresail. 

6 

2H 

NW/W 

SW>4W 

I'A 

Came  about  with  the  wind  and  lay  on  the  star- 
board tack. 

7 

2% 

W/N 

sw/s 

I'A 

Set  topsails  reefed,  hauled  up  topmast-staysails. 

8 

2K 

WNW 

sw 

iM 

9 

2M 

iM 

10 

2M 

iM 

Let  out  a  reef  in  topsails. 

II 

2H 

I'A 

12 

2K 

\A 

Reef-topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds; 
from  noon  to  s  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  kept 
the  course  on  the  average  between  coming  up 
to  and  falling  off  to  the  wind.  Took  an  observa- 
tion: zenith  distance  59''i4'.  declination  of  the 
sun  io°s9',  latitude  48°is'.  From  the  loth  until 
this  observation  we  kept  the  course  by  reckoning. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

i\i  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

3 

.JO 

c 

c  c 
3  S.I 

5o'^ 

J3 

5 

c 
c 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

SSE 
4°03'E 

II 

S 
10' 

E 
S 

8' 

48  "59' 

26°3i' 

By 
Observation 

SSE 
4°o3'E 

61 

s 

54' 

E 

27-5 

41.7' 

48°IS' 

268 

E/S 
3°5o'S 

27°ll' 

WESTWARD  AGAIN 

(^  October  12,  1741.     After  Midday 


185 


u 
3 
0 

X 

0 

C 

Ui 

•0 

c 

3 
0 

u 

>■ 

a 

I 

• 

I 

2h 

2 

NW   W 

SW>iW 

I'A 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy;  carrying  topsails  and  lower 
sails  reefed  and  topmast-staysails. 

2 

I 'A 

3 

2 

iK 

4 

2 

s\v  w 

iK 

S 

i"5 

WNVV 

sw 

iM 

Topgallantsail  wind;  let  out  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

6 

~ 

iM 

7 

SW^j'S 

2 

Took  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

8 

I'A 

2 

9 

2 

Light  wind. 

10 

Clewed  up  mainsail  and  foresail. 

II 

Northwesterly  swell. 

12 

Lowered  staysails. 

I 

^' 

s 

w  s 

Light  wind;  set  foresail  and  mainsail,  hoisted 
topmast-staysail. 

2 

2 

SSE 

3 

4M 

Let  out  second  reef  in  topsails. 

4 

4 

ESE 

Cloudy,  rainy. 

S 

5  ,'4' 

6 

6 

SE 

Reef-topsail  wind. 

7 

7J-4 

Hauled  down  topmast-staysails. 

8 

TA 

SSE 

Took  second  reef  in  topsails. 

9 

X'A 

SSW 

w 

»V 

Drizzly,  rainy. 

10 

3M 

?i 

Reef -topsail  wind. 

II 

3  54 

H 

Weather  as  before. 

12 

3K 

S  ,W 

w/s 

Hoisted  fore-topmast-staysail. 

In 

24  hours 

From  Vaua 

of 

Compass 

i}-i  rhurab  E 

E 

s 

.JO 
r.  C 

4 

c 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

XI 

B 

3 

§ 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

w 

4°47'S 

60 

S 

s' 

W 

598 

89.7' 

48''lo' 

2S4K 

E/S 
4°S6'S 

2S°4l' 

1 86  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  October  13,  1741.     After  Midday 


u 

a 
0 
K 

s 

0 

B 

•o 
c 

•1 

0 

u 

> 

I 

3'A 

SW/S 

W/N 

I 

Reef-topsail   wind,   drizzly,   rainy; 
sails  and  lower  sails  reefed. 

carrying  top- 

2 

3'< 

SW 

WNW 

3 

3>i 

WNWMW 

4 

3!* 

SW/S 

W/N 

iK 

Strong  reef-topsail  wind. 

5 

2M 

iK 

6 

2 '4 

I'i 

7 

I3< 

WNW'iW 

6 '  i 

Hove  to. 

8 

!,'•< 

6^ 

9 

I  '4 

13-4' 

sw/w 

NWMW 

6 

10 

6 

II 

I  '4 

wsw 

NWJ4N 

6 

12 

I  '4 

6 

Storm. 

I 

I  'i 

sw/w 

NW  -i  W 

6 

2 

I  i-i 

6 

3 

1^4 

w/s 

NNWjiiW 

6 

4 

IK 

6 

S 

}4 

w 

N/W>jW 

6 'A 

6 

J4 

6,'S 

7 

iM 

NNW^iW 

2 

Hoisted  mainsail  and  foresail. 

8 

I  K 

2 

Hoisted  main-topsail. 

9 

I  '4 

wsw 

NW 

2 

21  men  on  sick  list. 

10 

I 

w 

NNW 

2 

II 

2M 

W/S 

S/W,'4W 

I  M 

Tacked  to  starboard. 

12 

2H 

I  ■) 

Westerly  swell.™ 

Variation 

of 

Compasis 

I  J<  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

6 

3 

X 

*;  0 

tn  C 

c 

4 

c 

03 

c  c 
—  n  CO 

i6^ 

E 

3 

g 

.J 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

N/W 
5°40'W 

24 

N 
23' 

W 

7 

10' 

48°33' 

2S0K 

E/S 
3°So'S 

2.S°3I' 

103  Khitrov's  journal  gives  latitude  by  ob.servation,  48°37',  used  on  the  chart  (PI.  I). 


WESTWARD  AGAIN 

^  October  14,  1741.     After  Midday 


187 


u 
0 

X 

2 
0 

B 

•0 

S 

1 

2 

3 

0 

u 

a 

I 

2 

w/s 

S,'4W 

I>i 

Reef -topsail  wind,  heavy  passing  clouds,  westerly 
swell. 

2 

2 

I'i 

3 

2 '4 

sw/w 

NWMW 

I'A 

Carrying  topsails  and  lower  sails  reefed. 

4 

2  'i 

l',i 

S 

2 

sw 

VVNW  ' .  N 

I '4 

Rain  and  hail. 

6 

2 

sw  /w 

NW'/W 

1^4 

Squalls  and  rain.  hail. 

7 

I  '4 

wsw 

NW 

2  'i 

Furled  topsails. 

8 

2 

2M 

Storm. 

9 

2'4 

2K 

Moon  out. 

10 

2 

2K 

II 

2 

2!i 

12 

I  '  J 

NW  ' .,  N 

3 

Undersail  wind. 

I 

I  '  J 

sw  /VV 

NW/W 

3 

Wind  varying. 

2 

I?4 

3 

3 

I?4 

wsw 

NW 

3 

Thick  clouds,  heavy  squalls,  rain  and  hail. 

4 

2 

sw/w 

NW/W 

2'i 

S 

2 '4 

wsw 

NW 

iK 

6 

2 

NW'iN 

I :' V 

Set  topsails  reefed. 

7 

IK 

SWAV 

NW/W 

m 

Let  out  reef  in  main-topsail. 

8 

2. '-4 

l?4' 

24  men  on  sick  list. 

9 

IK 

wsw 

Nw;iW 

I?4 

10 

I  J4 

sw/w 

NW/W 

I  '4 

Let  out  reef  in  fore-topsail. 

II 

2 

1^4 

Topsail  wind. 

12 

2  '.  i 

wsw 

NW  SW 

1^4 

Cloudy,  heavy  westerly  swell. ■"■^ 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I  'A  rhumb  E 

J3 

a 
3 

Si 

JO 

c 

ti 

c  c 
—  n  00 

J3 
S 

3 

1 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

N/W 
3°SS'W 

39  M 

N 
37.7' 

W 

10.3 

1S.6' 

49°ll' 

244M 

E/S 
I°S6'S 

2S°I5' 

IM  Khitrov's  journal  gives  latitude  by  observation,  49''i7'.  used  on  the  chart  (PI.  I). 


188  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

7/   October  is,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

0 

c 

s 

>> 
n 

I 

2M 

wsw 

NWKN 

iM 

Reef-topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds; 
carrying  reefed  topsails,  lower  sails,  and  staysails. 

2 

3 

I  'i 

3 

2K 

sw/w 

NW/W 

IH 

4 

2K 

wsw 

NW 

iK 

Thick  clouds,  squalls,  hail. 

5 

2)^ 

iK 

Southwesterly  swell. 

6 

2K 

iK 

Took  three  reefs  in  topsails,  lowered  staysails. 

7 

IK 

iK 

8 

2J-4 

iK 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

9 

2M 

NW.'iN 

I  ,!i 

10 

I« 

SW/W 

NW/W 

2 

Squalls,  rain.  snow. 

II 

2M 

wsw 

NW 

iH 

12 

2 

iV, 

Topsail  wind.  cold. 

I 

I>i 

iH 

Topgallantsail  wind  and  changeable. 

2 

IM 

I^4 

Thick  clouds,  wet. 

3 

IK 

w 

NNWJ^iW 

2 

Squalls,  rain. 

4 

IK 

NNW 

2 

5 

2 

2 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

6 

2 

NNWIiW 

2 

Wind  in  gusts. 

7 

iK 

wsw 

NWMN 

2 

Wind  shifting. 

8 

2 

WNW 

N 

ii< 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

9 

I 

wsw 

S'iW 

Made  the  port  tack,  let  out  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

10 

1% 

WNW 

SWMS 

2 

II 

I 

wsw 

SJ^W 

Light  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

12 

M 

w 

S/WMW 

3 

Westerly  swell.  Took  an  observation:  zenith 
distance  62°  18'.  declination  of  the  sun  12°  22', 
latitude  49°   56'. ws 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

\yi  rhumb  E 

In 

24  ho 

urs 

From  Vaua 

Xi 

■       S 
3 

Si 

OS 

.JO 

c 

ii 

i 

c  c 

E 

3 

c 

0 

By 
Observation 

N 
5''2o'W 

46 

N 
4S' 

W 

4.2 

6.3' 

49°S6' 

239  M 

E/S 
o°33'E 

2S°09' 

105  Khitrov's  journal  gives  latitude  by  observation  49°  58'. 


\ 


WESTWARD  AGAIN 

$   October  i6,  1741.     After  Midday 


189 


9 
0 

X 

0 

e 

1 

3 

u 

>> 

a 

I 

•A 

WNW 

SE/E 

Calm,  chilly,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

2 

2 

SW'^S 

3 

2 

N\V/V\ 

sw ,  w 

I,H 

Topsail  wind,  thick  clouds,  snow,  squalls. 

4 

2H 

NW 

SVViW 

I'i 

5 

2 

I'. 

Variable. 

6 

2 

i;i 

Took  second  reef  in  topsails. 

7 

2Vi 

NW/N 

w/s 

13; 

Reef-topsail  wind;    took  third  reef  in  topsails. 

8 

2I4 

I 'A 

9 

2K 

Squalls,  snow. 

10 

2  'i 

1  '4 

Moon  and  stars  out. 

II 

2K 

NW 

wsw 

iM 

Squalls,  snow. 

12 

2 

I ; -i 

I 

I>4 

IH 

Topgallantsail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

2 

I  !4 

iM 

3 

I '» 

NNW 

W  •,!  S 

l>^ 

Let  out  three  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

4 

2 

iK 

5 

iK 

NW 

wsw 

iK 

6 

2li 

NW/N 

w  s 

I-'i 

Let  out  all  reefs  in  topsails. 

7 

2 

I,'4 

8 

2 

NW 

wsw 

1J4 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

9 

2  ''4 

WNW 

sw 

IK 

Topsail  wind. 

10 

I  Ji 

SVViS 

2 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

II 

I 

2 

Light  wind,  clear,  sunshine. 

12 

IK 

SE",E 

2 

Took    observation:     latitude    49''34'.     but     made 
no  change  in  the  dead  reckoning  because  of  the 
.slight  difference. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iK  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours                                    ,               From  Vaua 

.a 
S 

3 

x: 
Oi 

^0 

ti 

c  c 

—  3  a) 

E 

3 

§ 

By  Dead 

Reckoning 

sw/w 

8°3S'W 

44 

s 
18.6' 

w 
396 

S9' 

49°37'l 

232 

E/S 
I'o'S 

24"'lO' 

I90  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

f^   October  17,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

X 

0 

a 

3 
0 
U 

>. 

Si 
.J 

I 



•0 
c 

0 

2; 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

2 

3 

At  times  calm;  repaired  various  damages  caused 
by  the  storm. 

4 

S 

6 

2 

s 

w/s 

Topgallantsail  wind;   took  second  reef  in  topsails. 

7 

35^ 

S/E 

8 

4 

Topsail  wind. 

9 

4 

Drizzly. 

lo 

5 

Reef-topsail  wind,  thick  clouds,  wind  freshening. 

II 

6M 

12 

(>H 

Hauled  down  main-topmast-staysail. 

I 

b% 

2 

6 'A 

Cloudy,  rainy,  wind  in  gusts;  hauled  down  fore- 
topmast-staysail,  topsails  on  the  caps. 

3 

6Ji 

SE 

4 

6'i 

S 

6"i 
6, '4 

Gale,  rain;   took  third  reef  in  fore-topsail. 

6 

7 

S>< 

E 

Furled  main-topsail,  clewed  up  foresail  because  it 
was  torn  in  one  place. 

8 

5 

9 

4>< 

Strong  reef-undersail  wind. 

10 

4 

II 

3K 

Wind  going  down. 

12 

3K 

Let  out  reef  in  fore-topsail;  reef-topsail  wind, 
drizzly,  rainy. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iJ4  rhumb  E 

Ie 

24  hours 

From  Vaua 

S 

3 

JO 

5^ 

^1 

c 

c  c 
—  a  f, 

S 

3 

B 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

W'^N 

95 

N 
4-7' 

w 
94.8 

142' 

49''42' 

210 

E/S 
I°S8'S 

2l''48' 

WESTWARD  AGAIN 

^    October  i8,  1741.     After  Midday 


191 


3 

0 

0 

c 

Course 

I 

3 

4 

E/N 

W/S 

Reef-topsail  wind,  drizzly,  rainy. 

2 

NE/E 

WSW 

Furled  fore-topsail,  set  foresail  and  main-topsail, 
clewed  up  mainsail. 

3 

4  "'J 

4 

4 

NNE 

W/S 

Gale. 

S 

I  '  J 

N/E 

NWAV 

6vi 

Furled  the  sails  and  hove  to  under  reefed  tr>-sail. 

6 

l!4 

6;i 

7 

iH 

N 

WNWKW 

6K 

Storm. 

8 

iM 

6!^ 

9 

iM 

6M 

10 

iM 

6H 

Drizzly,  wet. 

II 

iH 

NAN' 

WMN 

6!i 

12 

I'-i 

6' J 

.•\t  times  the  moon  is  out. 

I 

I  '4 

6"j 

Stormy. 

2 

I  ,'4 

6"-i 

3 

I 

NW  /N 

WSWHW 

7 

Strong  reef-undersail  wind,  cloudy. 

4 

I 

7 

5 

I 

7 

6 

15-4 

W/S 

2 

Undersail  wind;    set  foresail  and  mainsail. 

7 

IK 

2 

8 

2>i 

2 

Examined  main-topsail  shrouds  which  were 
damaged. '3« 

9 

2K 

WSWMW 

2 

10 

2 

2 

Northerly  swell. 

II 

IK 

2 

Repaired  main-topsail  shrouds,  set  both  topsails, 
and  let  out  a  reef  in  each. 

12 

iK 

NW 

WSW          1  2 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

i.V  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

E 

3 
Si 

a 

-2 

d 

5-j 

e 

si 
c,5 

-      1 

c  s 
—  a  ? 

c 

3 

s: 

c 

0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

SWAV 
7°25'W 

43 

s 
19' 

W 

38.4 

S7.6' 

49° 23' 

203 

E/S 
3''49'S 

20°50' 

106  Khitrov's  journal:     "On  sick  list:     Captain  Commander  and  32  men," 


192  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

(^  October  ig,  17 41.     After  Midday 


3 
0 
X 

0 
c 
US 

•a 
c 

0 
U 

>. 
n 
■f 

s; 

I 

2% 

NWAV 

SWKW 

I 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds;  carrying 
topsails  and  lower  sails  and  staysails. 

2 

2]-i 

3 

2K 

WNW 

SWMS 

4 

2'A 

W/N 

SW/S 

Thick  clouds,  squedls,  wet;  hauled  down  staysails. 

S 

iH 

SWMS 

iM 

6 

2H 

iK 

7 

H 

iM 

Light  wind,  drizzly,  wet. 

8 

K 

iK 

9 

iH 

sw 

WNW 

With  the  change  of  wind  we  made  the  port  tack. 

10 

2 

sw/s 

W/N 

iK 

II 

3K 

ssw 

WJiN 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy. 

12 

^'4 

ssw 

W 

I 

3H 

s/w 

Reef-topsail  wind. 

2 

3K 

Drizzly,  rainy. 

3 

4 

s 

4 

4K 

5 

S 

Strong  reef-topsail  wind. 

6 

S'A 

Weather  as  before. 

7 

5 

By  the  will  of  God  Alexei  Kiselev  died  of  scurvy; 
29  men  on  the  sick  list. 

8 

S 

9 

4 

Wind  going  down;    let  out  reef  in  topsails. 

10 

4 

II 

S 

Rain. 

12   1  3'/, 

Southerly  swell;    hauled  up  topmast  staysails. 

In  24  hours                                                   From  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

1%  rhumb  E 

E 
3 

5 

^0 
c 

Ij 

a 

5^ 

0^ 

a 

c  c 
—  a  T- 

E 

c 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

w 

5°44'N 

70 

N 
7' 

W 

698 

107.6' 

49''30' 

186 

E/S 
4°40'S 

I9°02' 

DEATHS  FROM  SCURVY 

(T   October  20,  1741.     After  Midday 


193 


3 
0 

X 

0 

c 

•0 
c 

I 

2yi 

s 

w/s 

'^ 

Topsail  wind,  drizzly,  rainy;  with  the  change  of 
wind  we  made  the  port  tack. 

2 

3 

NW 

wsw 

3 

3>i 

Undersail  wind;    lowered  staysails. 

4 

3 

WSW'iW 

5 

2K 

NW/W 

sw/w 

I '4 

Furled  topsails. 

6 

I '4 

I, -4 

Thick  clouds,  squalls,  wet;  furled  foresail,  hove  to 
under  the  mainsail  and   trysail. 

7 

iM 

8 

I  'i 

s 

Storm . 

9 

WNW 

SWMS 

s 

Clear  with  passing  showers. 

10 

IX 

5 

II 

IK 

5 

Thick  clouds,  hail.  rain. 

12 

I  '4' 

5 

I 

S 

Wind  going  down. 

2 

S 

3 

W/N 

SSWMW 

5 

Undersail  wind. 

4 

W 

S/W'iW 

S 

Cloudy. 

S 

5 

Heavy  northerly  swell. 

6 

w/s 

SJ^W 

S 

7 

K 

wsw 

NW 

4 

Reef-topsail  wind,  set  foresail. 

8 

iK 

sw/w 

NW/W 

2 

Set  topsails  reefed;  Nikita  Kharitonov  died  by 
the  will  of  God. 

9 

2 'A 

s/w 

W/N 

10 

4 

s 

W 

Clear  with  passing  clouds;  took  three  reefs  in  fore- 
topsail;  heavy  squalls  which  obliged  us  to  ease  up 
on  the  lanyards  to  the  topsail  shrouds;  tacked  to 
port.w 

II 

S  M 

12 

3W 

ssw 

I 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

1*4  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

J3 

E 

3 

J,  0 
en  C 

ti 

-;  0 
c 

n 

.5  ° 

e 
3 

c 

0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

WSW 

2''si'\N 

29.7 

S 
10' 

W 
28 

42' 

49°2o' 

180  !-i 

E/S 
S°S9'S 

I8''20' 

'07  Khitrov's  journal:  "On  sick  list:     Captain  Commander,  petty  officers  and  men  to 
the  number  of  32." 


194  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  October  21,  17 41.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

a: 

0 
B 

c 

3 
0 

n 

I 

I 'A 

sw/s 

WNWMW 

2 

Topgallantsail  wind,  wet.  sunshine. 

2 

1  yi 

2 

Took  three  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

3 

l!i 

sw/w 

NW/W 

2 

4 

2 '4 

W/N 

NMW 

I 

Thick  clouds,  squalls,  rain;  made  the  starboard 
tack. 

5 

2}i 

NW 

WSW 

I'A 

6 

2, '4 

i.'4 

Stormy,  wet. 

7 

iK 

3 

Furled  topsails. 

8 

I>J 

3 

Cloudy,  rain,  hail. 

9 

I« 

NW/W 

SWMW 

S 

Gale;  furled  foresail,  hove  to  under  the  mainsail 
and  trysail. 

10 

IJ-i 

WNW 

SWMS 

S 

Stormy. 

II 

1,'i 

5 

Squalls,  rain  and  hail. 

12 

I  "i 

W/N 

SSW  'iW 

5 

Stars  out. 

I 

I'j 

vv 

SSVV 

3'i 

Reef-topsail  wind;  set  foresail. 

2 

I '4 

3'i 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

^ 

w/s 

s«w 

3'i 

Came  about  with  the  wind  and  made  the  port  tack. 

4 

I H 

sw/w 

NW>.W 

2  ^i 

s 

lJ-4 

wsw 

NW 

2H 

Set  the  topsails  reefed. 

6 

35-4' 

sw/w 

NW/W 

I  M 

Hauled  up  topmast-staysails. 

7 

2f4 

NW3/4W 

I'A 

Thick  clouds,  hail.  snow. 

8 

2M 

I'A 

Clear  with  passing  clouds,  reef-topsail  wind. 

9 

2J-4" 

NW/WMW 

I'A 

10 

2>J 

NW/W 

I'A 

Thick  clouds,  squalls;  at  times  we  were  obliged  to 
ease  up  on  the  lanyards  to  the  topmast  shrouds; 
westerly  swell. 

II 

2 

I'A 

12 

2,' J 

NWMW 

I'A 

Took  an  observation:     latitude  49°  27',    but  be- 
cause of  the  small  difference  from  the  dead  reckon- 
ing it  was  not  considered. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

Hi  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

3 

JO 

e 

QJ 

c 

c  a 

5^^ 

£ 

3 

c 

0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

NW/W 
3°49'N 

16M 

N 
9-8' 

W 
12.9 

20' 

49°30' 

n6V, 

E/S 
S°32'S 

iS'o' 

DEATHS  FROM  SCURVY 

iLf  October  22,  1741.     After  Midday 


195 


3 
0 

0 

s 

•0 
c 

5 

3 
0 

n 
J 

I 

2y, 

wsw 

NW>iW 

ij^ 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds,  thick 
clouds,  hail;  carrying  topsails  and  lower  sails 
reefed. 

2 

2 

I'A 

3 

2 

w 

NNW 

iVi 

4 

I?< 

WNW 

SW 

Made  the  starboard  tack. 

S 

iK 

W 

SSW^iW 

jH 

6 

3 

lU 

Topsail  wind. 

7 

2 

SSW 

I'A 

8 

2% 

I'A 

9 

2 

ii. 

Thick  clouds,  squalls,  and  wet. 

10 

2"-^' 

1  J-i 

Undersail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

II 

1% 

S/Wi^W 

6 

Furled  topsails,  foresail,  mainsail;  hove  to  on  the 
main-staysail  and  trysail. 

12 

I  '4 

6 

I 

I"4 

6 

2 

I  i  4 

W/N 

SSW'.W 

SA 

By  the  will  of  God  died  the  marine  l,uka  Zaviakov. 

3 

I3< 

SM 

4 

SK 

Storm,  squalls,  hail. 

S 

WNW 

SW>^S 

sy^ 

Very  chilly. 

6 

sA 

Wind  going  down  a  bit. 

7 

S!i 

8 

5'i 

Undersail  wind. 

9 

iM 

NW/W 

SW/W 

2 

Set  foresail  and  mainsail. 

10 

iK 

2 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

II 

iM 

2 

Set  topsails  reefed. 

12 

^'A 

2 

We  wrapped  the  dead  marine  and  dropped  him 
into  the  sea. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I A  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

H 

3 

to  e 
c 

c 

tog' 
53 

B  C 
—  a  to 

s 

3 

oi 

§ 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

S/W 
7°ii'W 

22 

s 
21' 

w 

7 

10' 

49°09' 

112% 

ESE 
4''o'E 

I7°S0' 

196  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

2  October  23,  17 41.     After  Midday 


u 

3 
0 

X 

0 
C 

•3 

C 

0 
U 

>. 

s 

Si 

I 

U« 

NVV 

NNE 

I  '4 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds.  At  the 
beginning  of  this  hour  made  port  tack.  It  was 
agreed  that  we  should  keep  close  to  the  land  be- 
cause we  had  only  is  casks  of  water. los 

2 

2M 

IK 

3 

2'-i 

NW/W 

N/E 

I '4 

4 

2 

WNW 

NME 

i;4 

5 

2 

NW 

NNE 

I  '4 

6 

I>^ 

l!4 

At  the  end  of  this  hour  we  came  about  on  the  star- 
board tack  because  the  wind  was  unfavorable  for 
going  ahead. 

7 

iK 

NW/N 

W/S 

2 

8 

I 

2 

9 

2 

Light  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds,  thick  clouds 
overhead,  wet,  westerly  swell. 

10 

NW 

wsw 

2 

II 

""k 

•0 

c 

0 
Z 

In  4  hours  we  made  leeway  at  the  rate  of  half  knot 
per  hour  E  by  S. 

12 

Clewed  up  mainsail  and  foresail. 

I 

-y^ 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

'A 

SE 

WNW 

Light  wind. 

7 

Va 

Cloudy. 

8 

2 'A 

S/E 

Topgallantsail  wind;  let  out  two  reefs  in  topsails. 

9 

3% 

W/N 

10 

i'-i 

3  A 

SE 

Topsail  wind,  cloudy. 

II 

Very  chilly. 

12 

3H 

Today  I  became  ill  with  the  scurvy  but  am  not 
counted  among  the  sick. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iX  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours                                    |               From  Vaua 

,0 
B 

3 

Oi 

•JO 

c 

a 

0 

c 

Lat. 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

J3 

B 

3 

a. 

c 

0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

NW/N 
o°04'N 

18 

N 

is' 

W 
10 

is' 

49°24'||    IT 3 'A 

ESE 
4°53'E 

I7°3S' 

'08  Khitrov's  journal:  "We  and  the  petty  officers  had  a  consultation  with  the 
Captain  Commander.  The  winds  had  continuously  been  contrary  and  of  water  we 
had  only  is  casks.  It  was  dangerous  either  to  go  on  or  to  wait  for  a  change  of  wind, 
and  we  therefore  unanimously  agreed  to  sail  N  in  the  hope  of  finding  a  place  to  take 
water,  without  which  a  great   misfortune  would  overtake  us." 


DEATHS  FROM  SCURVY 

Tj   October  24,  17 41.     After  Midday 


197 


a 
0 
X 

0 

c 

•0 

e 

3 
0 

U 

a 

J 

I 

4 

SE 

W/N 

Topsail  wind,  chilly;  carrying  topsails,  foresail, 
mainsail  reefed. 

2 

S 

3 

4 

4 

A'A 

E/S 

Strong  reef-topsail  wind. 

S 

5 

Took  second  and  third  reefs  in  fore-topsail; 
heavy  clouds,  wet. 

6 

4« 

7 

4!-i 

W 

8 

4H 

Clewed  up  mainsail. 

9 

S 

10 

4K 

Rain,  heavy  passing  clouds. 

II 

4M 

12 

4K 

Snow. 

I 

5'i 

Clewed  up  mainsail. 

2 

SM 

3 

6 

E 

Undersail  wind,  drizzly,  rain. 

4 

6 

S 

6 

6 

7'^ 

ENE 

vvx 

Storm,  gusts  of  wind. 

7 

6ii 

8 

6H 

9 

sn' 

NE 

WNW 

Squalls,  rain.  snow. 

10 

s 

Took  three  reefs  in  main-topsail. 

II 

4M 

Set  mainsail. 

12 

4M 

Reef-topsail  wind,  weather  the  same. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

1%  rhumb  E 

Ir 

24  hours 

From  Vaua 

3 
s: 

*:  0 

T,   C 

II 

c 

rt       1 

c  c 
—  rt  to 

J3 

E 

3 

x: 

i 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

vvwv 

o''34'W 

123 

N 

46' 

W 
114-3 

177' 

So'io'l 

142K 

E/S 
S°28'S 

I4°38' 

198  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  October  25,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

X 

0 

C 

•0 

c 

2 
3 
0 

I 

A% 

NE 

WNW 

Reef-topsail  wind,  drizzly;  carrying  foresail  and 
mainsail. 

2 

_4 

3 

Squalls,  snow. 

3 

4 

Z% 

N 

Set  mainsail,  hauled  up  fore-topmast-staysail. 

5 

3'A 

6 

iVi 

Northerly  swell. 

7 

2M 

j< 

Stars  out,  chilly. 

8 

2% 

K 

Heavy  passing  clouds. 

9 

2% 

K 

10 

2ji 

K 

Reef-topsail  wind. 

II 

3 

?•< 

12 

3 

J< 

Strong  reef-topsail  wind,  cold. 

I 

3 

i< 

2 

3 

K 

3 

3 

K 

At  times  the  moon  is  shining. 

4 

3 

K 

Northerly  swell. 

5 

3 

N/W 

W/N 

I 

Large  hailstones  coming  down,  cold,  heavy 
passing  clouds. 

6 

3 

7 

234 

8 

2^ 

Clear  with  passing  clouds.  At  8  a.m.  sighted  land 
covered  with  snow  in  NW  by  N.  'M 

9 

2M 

Reef-topsail  wind,  gusty  at  times. 

10 

2M 

II 

2^ 

NNW 

W 

Clear  with  passing  clouds.  Took  an  observa- 
tion: zenith  distance  66  "24',  declination  of  the 
sun  is°34',  latitude  5o°5o'.'"'  The  land  which  we 
sighted  in  the  morning  bears  now  N  by  W^^iW 
about  8!i  German  miles.  We  take  this  land  to 
be  an  island  and  named  it  St.  Markiana."' 

12 

3K 

I 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

l><  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours                                   !;               From  Vaua 

.2 
E 

^0 

c 

a 

c 

c  c 

4J    p.- 

E 
3 

c 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

WNW 

3°04'N 

69.6 

N 
29.7' 

W 
62.7 

98.6' 

So''4o' 

I2°59' 

By 

Observation 

NW/W 

I''20'W 

69.6 

N 
40' 

W 

569 

89.6' 

SO°so' 

■i.2%y* 

E/S 
3°02'S 

I3°09' 

(Footnotes  lOQ-iii  on  pp.  igQ-200.) 


LANDFALL:  KISICA  ISLAND 

^  October  26,  1741.     After  Midday 


199 


:2 
0 
X 

1 

■3 
S 

0 

1 

I 

2H 

NNVV 

\V 

1/4 

Reef-topsail  wind,  cloudy,  squalls,  snow;  carry- 
ing staysails,  topsails,  and  lower  sails. 

2 

3 

iK 

3 

2Vi 

I. '4 

4 

2K 

I  li 

Northerly  swell. "'- 

5 

2  H 

N  /W 

W/N 

I, "4 

6 

2'A 

I  '4' 

7 

3 

NNW 

W 

I '4 

Heavy  passing  clouds  and  snowstorm. 

8 

2-U 

I -'4 

9 

2>^, 

1 1^ 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

10 

2 '/a 

I,'-i 

1 1 

2^4 

N/W 

WMN 

Wet. 

12 

I  ',-> 

I 

2-!4 

VV   N 

I  Ji 

2 

2, '4 
2 

I  .''i 

Heavy  passing  clouds  and  rain. 

3 

Ij-i 

■i 

2^4 

W^iN 

IH 

Heavy  passing  clouds,  wind  in  gusts. 

5 

2!  J 

NNW 

W 

tyi 

6 

2, '-4 
2!« 

I  H 

Snow. 

7 

8 

2% 

i>i 

Reef-topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds.  30 
on  the  sick  list. 

9 

2*4 

I M 

10 

2  '3 

N    W 

W/N 

I  H 

Chilly. 

II 

2  ■; 

I  M 

Topsail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

12 

2 

I 'A 

Topsail  wind. 

In  24  hours                                                  From  V'aua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iM  rhumb  E 

1 

^0 

ii 

-0 

c 

1,.:  M 

ry  0 

1 

i 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

W 

2S°6'N 

S8.6 

N 

2.9' 

w 

58.2 

92.6' 

50°S3'I    III 54 

E/S 
4°29'S 

Ii°36' 

"2  Khitrov's  journal:  "4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  sighted  an  island;  southern  point  of 
it  bore  true  N."  [The  "island"  sighted  was  probably  the  southern  end  of  Kiska  Island, 
1,200  to  1,500  feet  high  and  with  a  radius  of  visibility  of  about  40  knots,  and  was  not 
recognized  as  part  of  the  same  island  of  which  it  was  the  northern  peak.  4,o.so  feet  high 
and  with  a  radius  of  visibility  of  about  70  knots,  that  had  been  sighted  eight  iiours  before. 
— Edit.  Note.) 

Footnotes  to  Log  of  October  25 

109  Khitrov's  journal:  "Saw  land  in  NW  by  N,  8  miles  distant,  which  we  took  for  ai 
island." 

110  Khitrov's  journal:  "The  island  we  sighted  is  high,  rocky,  treeless,  and  covered  with 
snow.  Latitude  si°  11'  .  .  ."  This  refers  to  the  latitude  of  the  ship  at  8  .\.  M.,  when 
the  island  was  first  sighted  (see  Waxel's  report,  p.  27s);  on  the  chart  (PI.  I)  the  October 
25  noon  position  has  been  plotted  accordingly,  as  this  brings  the  subsequent  landfalls 
into  better  agreement  with  the  actual  conditions  than  the  observed  latitude  of  5°°  so', 
which  was  probably  a  poor  observation,  and  the  recorded  day's  run  of  69.6  knots,  whichi 
probably  underestimated  the  current  and  was  too  low. 

"1  Kiska  Island.  [Sokolov  (Zapiski  Ilydrogr.  Depart.,  Vol.  9,  St.  Petersburg,  1851, 
pp.  394-395)  identifies  St.  Markiana  Island  as  Amchitka  and  St.  Stephen  Island,  sighted 
on  October  28  (here  interpreted  as  Buldir),  as  Kiska.    If  the  arc  of  visibility  be  plotted 

(Continuation  of  footnote  on  p.  zoo.) 


200  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

(t  October  27,  1741.     After  Midday 


u 
3 
0 
X 

0 
C 

T3 
C 

Zi 

0 

•■J 

a 

I 

2M 

N/W 

W>iN 

I'A 

Topsail  wind,  drizzly;  hauled  up  main-topmast- 
staysail;  carrying  topsails,  foresail,  mainsail  reefed, 
staysails,  and  trysail. 

2 

2 

I  !-i 

3 

2J4 

NW/N 

w  /s 

I'A 

4 

2 

2 

S 

I 

NW 

wsw 

2 

Light  wind,  drizzly. 

6 

I 

2 

7 

I 

NW/W 

sw/w 

2 

8 

I 

2 

9 

H 

2 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

10 

M 

2 

II 

Calm 

2 

12 

IK 

SW  'W 

NWAV 

2 

Topgallantsail    wind;    made   the   starboard    tack. 

I 

I 

i"-j 

2 

2 

SW 

NW/WKW 

iM 

Stars  out,  heavy  passing  clouds,  rain. 

3 

iK 

iH 

4 

iK 

i'^ 

5 

3 

SW   VV 

NW/W 

iJ< 

Topsail  wind. 

6 

4 

SW  s 

WNW 

Rain. 

7 

4 

I  have  such  pains  in  my  feet  and  hands,  owing 
to  the  scurvy,  that  I  can  with  difficulty  stand 
my  watch.     32  on  the  sick  list. 

8 

4 

9 

3X 

10 

4>4 

Strong  reef-topsail  wind,  drizzly;  hauled  down 
topmast-staysails. 

II 

4K 

Clewed  up  trysail. 

12 

4 

Reef-topsail  wind,  heavy  passing  clouds. 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iK  rhumb  E 

SI 

S 

3 

0: 

•JO 

c 

4 

Q,3 

i 

c  c 

E 

3 

s: 

a 

J 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

NW/W 
I°36'1?1N 

S7.6 

N 
27.1' 

w 

38.2 

61' 

SI°20' 

100 ,'« 

E/S 
2°i8'S 

io°3S' 

of  the  highest  point  of  each  of  the  two  islands  (Amchitka:  height  1,008  feet,  visibility 
radius  32  knots;  Kiska:  height  4,050  feet,  visibility  radius  70  knots)  with  reference  to 
the  probable  course  of  the  St.  Peter  as  adjusted  to  the  latitude  of  si°  n'  and  the  bearing 
NW  by  N  at  the  time  of  sighting,  it  seems  probable,  however,  that  the  island  seen  was 
Kiska  and  not  Amchitka.  This  would  also  seem  to  be  indicated  by  the  characterization 
of  the  island  as  high.  "Amchitka  is  .  .  .  low  .  .  .  The  offshore  navigator  can  not 
expect  to  see  Amchitka  at  all  as  there  are  no  commanding  elevations"  (United  States 
Coast  Pilot:  Alaska.  Part  II,  ist  edition,  U.S.  Coast  and  Geodetic  Survey,  Washington, 
D.  C,  1916,  p.  222). — Edit.  Note.) 


LANDFALL:  BULDIR  ISLAND 

^  October  28,  1741.     After  Midday 


201 


u 
3 
0 

X 

0 

B 

■§ 
§ 

2 
3 
0 
0 

>> 
a 

I 

3'A 

SW.'S 

WNW 

I 

Reef-topsail   wind,   heavy   passing  clouds;   carry- 
ing topsails,  foresail,  mainsail,  and  trysail. 

2 

3 'A 

I 

3 

S'A 

I 

4 

3'A 

I 

S 

4 

I 

Undersziil  wind.     Owing  to  the  squalls  we  were 
obliged   to  ease  up  on   the  lanyards   to  the  top- 
mast shrouds;  furled  topsails. 

6 

4 

I 

7 

2 

ssw 

W/N 

3 

8 

iH 

3 

9 

iM 

3 

Drizzly. 

10 

iK 

W.'iN 

3'A 

Wind  as  before. 

II 

iH 

3'A 

Reef-topsail  wind. 

12 

2 

3' 2 

Southwesterly  swell. 

I 

iK 

W 

3'A 

2 

ij^ 

3'A 

Wind  going  down  a  bit,  drizzly,  rainy. 

3 

iV^ 

3'A 

4 

iM 

3'A 

By  the  will  of  God    Stephen    Buldirev,  I13    naval 
cooper,  died  of  scurvy. 

S 

i>^ 

3'A 

6 

2H 

3 '4 

Set  topsails  and  topmast-staysails. 

7 

At  7:30  sighted  high  land, '^  one  point    bore   N 
by  WMW  2  miles,  another  point  NW.'^W. 

8 

9 

Clewed  up  foresail,  mainsail,  and  trysail  because 
there  was  little  wind. 

10 

II 

Drizzly,  wet;  sounded  and  got  63  fathoms. 

12 

2M 

SSE 

W/N 

Set    foresail    and    mainsail;    topgallantsail    wind. 
Of  the  land  sighted  earlier,  the  first  point  bears 
ENE  2  miles;  near  it  are  three  small  islands  to  the 
east   not   far   apart;   the   second    point    NNEKE 
I  mile.     We  named  the  island  St.  Stephen."* 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I '4  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours                                 ||               From  Vaua 

c 

3 

5 

c 

a 

^1 
c 

Lat. 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

e 

3 

fi 

c 
q 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

NW/N 
5°40'W 

45 

N 
348' 

W 

28.6 

43' 

Si°5S'      91'A 

E/S 
I°S8'E 

9°S2' 

"'  Another  reading  is  Stepan  Bogdriev.  See,  however,  next  footnote  and  entry  under 
12  p.  m. 

"<  Buldir  Island. 

lis  Khitrov's  journal:  "Land  sighted  proved  to  be  an  island  extending  WNW-ESE, 
the  western  point  bearing  NNE,  the  eastern  ENE.  From  it  were  seen  three  small  islands, 
distant  3!A  or  4  miles.    The  longest  seemed  to  be  4H  German  miles." 


202  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

1^  October  2q,  1741.     After  Midday 


0 

0 

c 

•0 
c 

I 
0 

>> 

1 

I 

3M 

SE/S 

W/N 

Topsail  wind,  drizzly,  rainy;  carrying  topsails, 
foresail,  and  mainsail. 

2 

4 

3 

4M 

4 

S'< 

Gale. 

5 

5  ,'4 

Took  three  reefs  in  topsails. 

6 

5'-i 

7 

S 

w 

Drizzly,  rainy;  furled  topsails  on  account  of 
darkness  and  heavy  gale. 

8 

4'4 

9 

4M 

10 

4K 

w/s 

n 

4K 

Sounded  70  or  80  fathoms  but  did  not  strike 
bottom. 

12 

aH 

I 

4 

vv 

2 

3K 

Wind  going  down,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

3 

4 

4 

4K 

Sounded  in  60  fathoms,  no  bottom. 

5 

4K 

SSE 

W/N 

6 

4K 
3M 

Gale,  drizzly,  wet. 

7 

8 

3 

Topsail  wind,  cold,  air  thick. 

9 

I 

35  fathoms  of  water;  because  of  the  fog  we  could  not 
see   anything   and   therefore   hove   to;     clewed   up 
foresail  and  mainsail. 

10 

'A 

S 

Sighted   a   low   island   the   middle   of   which   bore 

W  iK  miles. 116 

II 

A% 

W 

N>4W 

When  the  fog  lifted  we  sighted  land  in  the  west; 
set  topsails  and  foresail. 

12 

4 

N 

Reef-topsail     wind,     clear    with     passing    clouds. 
The    island'"   sighted    at   10    o'clock    bears     now 
WSW  2M   German  miles;   we  named  it  St.  Abra- 
ham.   Near  it  is  a  projection  like  a  cape. 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

l,'<  rhumb  E 

s 

3 

x: 

M   C 

c 

li 

c  c 

E 

3 

bt 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

WNW 

o°so'N 

90 

N 
35.7' 

W 

82.8 

135' 

S2°3l' 

tgH 

E 

4°44'S 

7°37' 

H6  Khitrov's  journal:  "Sighted  an  island;  northern  point  W  by  N,  Southern  point  W 
by  S  3;-i  miles.    At  noon  the  northern  point  of  the  island  bore  WSW." 
U7  Easternmost  of  the  Semichi  Islands. 


THE  LAST  STRETCH 

2  October  30,  1741.     After  Midday 


203 


3 
0 

•0 

a 

p 
0 
u 

Si 

I 

3 

W 

N/WJ^W 

iK 

Reef-topsail  wind,  drizzly;  carrying  topsails,  fore- 
sail, mainsail,  trysail. 

2 

3 

I -'4 

3 

2  .'4 

W/N 

N/W 

I  '4 

Topsail  wind,  weather  the  same. 

4 

2, --3 

I. '-2 

Rain. 

S 

2, '4 

IJ^ 

6 

2 

IJ3 

Rain. 

7 

2, '4 

vv 

NNW 

I  y. 

Southwest  swell. 

8 

2 

iM 

9 

2J4 

w/s 

NW/N 

iM 

Reef-topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  rains. 

lO 

2K 

iM 

II 

2M 

iK 

Sounded  in  70  fathoms,  no  bottom. 

12 

2  '4 

I  '  i 

t 

2% 

S'i,\V 

2H 

Made  the  starboard  tack. 

2 

2J3 
2  'i 

2ii 

3 

2J-4 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

4 

11^4 

wsw 

s 

3 

S 

I 

sw/s 

W/N 

2 

Light  wind,  weather  the  same;  made  the  port 
tack. 

6 

H' 

2 

7 

2 

ssw 

w 

I  '4 

us 

8 

3 

I  '4 

Reef-topsail  wind. 

9 

2*4 

I  '4 

Hauled  up  topmast-staysails. 

10 

3^4 

4 

I 

Drizzly,  wet. 

II 

I 

Strong  reef-topsail  wind. 

12 

2  4-4 

I 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iH  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

3 

c 

a  a 
—  a  "■■ 

•2  £2 

SI 

60 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

NNW 

I°i8'N 

3S 

N 
33' 

W 
12.8 

21' 

S3°04' 

6s  M 

E 

2°II'N 

7°i6' 

lis    Khitrov's  journal  gives  observed  but  discarded  latitude  sa'z?'. 


204 


LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

h   October  31,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 

0 

X 

0 

C 

■0 
c 

0 
U 

> 
I 

I 

3'A 

S/W 

WKS 

I  ,'4 

Reef-topsail  wind,  drizzly,  rain;  carrying  topsails, 
foresail,  trysail,  and  staysails. 

2 

^'i 

I 

i 

3 

2  H 

S\V  /S 

W/N 

I 

i 

4 

2% 

WNWiiW 

I 

4 

Hauled  down  main-topraast-staysail. 

5 

2K 

2i-i 

I 

4 

6 

sw/w 

NW/W 

I 

4 

7 

iH 

I 

/, 

Wind  as  before,  heavy  passing  clouds. 

8 

2K 

NWMW 

I 

4 

9 

2^^ 

I 

/, 

Stars  out. 

10 

2H 

I 

/, 

II 

2 

NW/W 

i 

Topsail  wind. 

12 

2!  4 

i 

I 

2  'i 

svv 

NW/w;iW 

„ 

Squally  clouds;  occasionally  the  stars  are  seen. 

2 

2  J -i 

/, 

At  2:30  made  the  starboard  tack. 

3 

I'-i 

sw/w 

S/E 

3 

4 

2 

3 

S 

2ji 

wsw 

S 

2li 

Squally  clouds,  snow,  cold. 

6 

2 

2^4 

7 

2 

2  5-4 

8 

I 

2J-4 

At  8:30  came  about  with  the  wind  and  made  the 
port  tack;  unbent  the  foresail  because  it  was  no 
longer  seaworthy  and  bent  on  a  new  one.  By  the 
will  of  God  died  the  Yakutsk  soldier  Karp  Pashen- 
noi,  and  we  lowered  him  into  the  sea. 

9 

\% 

ssw 

W 

H4 

10 

2% 

s/w 

W/N 

I 

II 

4 

I 

12 

3M 

s 

w 

% 

Reef-topsail  wind,  snow,  squally  clouds;  at  times 
the  sun  is  seen. 

In  24  hours 

F 

rom  Vaua 

of 

Compass 
iK  rhumb  E 

J2 

E 

3 
.S 

a 

^0 

ii 

c,2 
c 

it 

i 

e  c 

—  n  M 

B 

3 

c 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

NW/N 
I°23'W 

37"^ 

N 
30.7' 

w 
21.6 

36' 

53''3S' 

60  K 

E/N 
I°32'E 

6°40' 

THE  LAST  STRETCH 

{^  November  i,  1741.     After  Midday 


205 


u 

3 
0 

S 

0 

c 

•0 

c 

u 
3 
0 

I 

I'A 

wsvv 

NW 

2 

Furled  topsails;  gale  blowing,  squally  clouds; 
hove    to    under   the    main-staysail    and    trysail. 

2 

i'4 

W/N 

NHW 

SM 

3 

I'A 

SM 

Reefed  foresail. 

4 

I  ''i 

5'A 

5 

i-'A 

w 

NNW 

i'A 

Undersail  wind,  cloudy;  set  foresail  and  mainsail, 
hauled  down  main-staysail. 

6 

I  '•• 

3'A 

7 

2 

w/s 

NW/N 

ZA 

Squally  clouds,  snow;  occasionally  the  stars  shine 
through. 

8 

2 

w 

NNW 

3A 

9 

iK 

3  A 

Squally  clouds,  hail. 

10 

il^ 

w/s 

NW/N 

3A 

II 

iM 

s\v  w 

NW/W 

3  A 

12 

iK 

W/S 

NW/N 

3« 

Undersail  wind. 

I 

I  'A 

w 

NNWKW 

3  A 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

2 

iM 

3  A 

3 

i^ 

NNW 

3  A 

4 

iM 

3  A 

Reef-topsail  wind,  at  times  comes  in  puffs. 

S 

I J4 

3  A 

6 

i^ 

N/WMW 

3  A 

7 

2K 

NNW 

3M 

Set  main-topsail. 

8 

2!i 

3A 

Squally  clouds,  snow. 

9 

IM 

WNW 

N>iW 

3A 

Clear  with  passing  clouds;  unbent  the  main-top- 
eail  in  order  to  mend  it. 

10 

2 

W/N 

N/WMW 

3M 

119 

II 

l« 

W 

NNWKW 

3  A 

12 

iK 

3'i 

Peef-topsail  wind;  the  sun  is  barely  seen. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iK  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours                                  j 

F 

rom  Vaua 

1 

3 

5 

.JO 
a  C 

C 

c 

c,3 

M       ! 

E 

3 

B 
2 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

NNE 
7°24'E 

37 

N 
32' 

E 

18.4 

31' 

1 

S4°07' 

66  A 

E/N 
4°39'N 

7°Il' 

ii»  Khitrov's  journal:    "On  the  sick    list:    the    Captain    Commander    and    36   men. 
With  great  difficulty  the  others  manage  to  run  the  boat." 


206  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  November  2,  17 41.     After  Midday 


u 

3 
0 

0 

a 

T3 
C 

0 

u 

I 

iH 

2M 

w 

NNW 

3K 

Reef-topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

2 

IK 

Set  topsails  reefed;  carrying  foresail,  mainsail, 
and  trysail  in  addition. 

3 

2K 

W/N 

N/W>iW 

I>^ 

4 

3M 

IK 

s 

iK 

W 

ssw 

Ifi 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy;  made  the  starboard 
tack. 

6 

I '4 

IK 

7 

I  !< 

sw/w 

S/E 

2 

8 

I 

I  'i 

sw/s 

W/N 

2 

Light  wind,  stars  out;  made  the  port  tack. 

9 

SSE 

wsw 

H 

10 

2!i 

M 

II 

2  '4 

K 

Stars  shining. 

12 

2K 

■  3- 

Westerly  swell. 

I 

2M 

S'E 

WSW  'A  W 

'4 

Topsail  wind. 

2 

2H 

K 

3 

Z'A 

SSE 

wsw 

Reef-topsail  wind,  chilly,  drizzly. 

4 

4 

5 

4 

SE/S 

SW/W 

6 

4 

I  am  altogether  exhausted  from  scurvy,  and  I 
stand  my  watch  only  because  of  extreme  necessity. 

7 

4 

8 

4 

9 

4 

Southerly  swell.  By  the  will  of  God  Ivan  Petrov, 
the  naval  carpenter,  died. 

10 

4M 

II 

3 

Strong  undersail  wind;  furled  topsails;  lowered 
the  dead  body  into  the  sea. 

12 

3 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I  J<  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

S 

3 

4J  0 

ii 

C  B 

•2  si 

E 

3 

X 

1 

By  Dead 
Reckoning' 

W/S 
5°07'W 

48.7 

s 

S-2' 

W 

48.4 

82' 

S4°02' 

54^ 

ENE 

4°22'E 

5°49' 

THE  LAST  STRETCH 
(^  November  3,  1741.     After  Midday 


207 


3 

0 

0 

s 

■0 

c 

2 
3 
0 
U 

I 

i'A 

SSE 

s\v  /\v 

I 

Reef-undersail  wind,  squally  clouds,  rain;  carry- 
ing foresail,  mainsail,  and  trysail. 

2 

3 'a 

4 

I 

3 

SE 

(y'A 

Gale,  cold,  rain. 

4 

4 

6  ■  i 

S 

4 

6y, 

6 

I 

E/S 

SMii 

6;i 

Furled  foresail  and  mainsail;  hove  to  on  the  try- 
sail because  of  the  strong  wind.  It  is  dangerous 
to  go  on  our  way  especially  at  night. 

7 

6 'A 

8 

bA 

9 

6!-i 

10 

6;i 

II 

E 

S/E 

6"i 

Wind  going  down,  drizzly,  rainy. 

12 

b'A 

I 

6  A 

2 

E/N 

SSE 

Rain. 

3 

4 

ENE 

SE/S'iE 

bA 

Undersail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

5 

bVi 

Drizzly,  rainy. 

6 

6  A 

7 

3n 

wsw 

Set  fore  and  main-topsails. 

8 

3  M 

Strong  reef-topsail  wind. 

9 

4 

10 

4 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

II 

4'S 

Undersail  wind. 

12 

4M 

Drizzly,  heavy  easterly  swell. 

2o8 


LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  November  4,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

X 

2 
§ 

3 
0 
U 

>> 

I 

s 

ENE 

wsw 

Strong  reef-undersail  wind;  carrying  main-topsail 
and  foresail.  The  drummer  Osip  Chentsov,  of  the 
Siberian  garrison,  died. 

2 

S'A 

3 

4K 

NE 

4 

4 

S 

3M 

Lowered  the  dead  body  into  the  sea.  Furled 
raain-topsail  because  it  was  dangerous  to  have  it 
up  at  night.  According  to  our  calculation  the 
Kamchatka  shore  is   nearing. 

6 

2M 

7 

2'A 

8 

2% 

9 

2 

10 

2 

NE/N 

II 

iK 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

12 

I 

Light  wind;  set  main-topsail;  drizzly,  rainy.  By 
the  will  of  God  the  Siberian  soldierj  Ivan  Davidov 
died  of  scurvy. 

I 

I 

2 

I 

3 

1 

4 

I  H 

Changeable  wind. 

S 

2 

ESE 

The  grenadier  Alexei  Popov  died  of  scurvy. 

6 

3 

7 

3  'A 

Set  fore-topsail  and  mainsail. 

8 

4 

Let  out  reef  in  main-topsail.  Sighted  land, 120 
bearing  by  compass  SW  by  S.  4  German  miles. 121 
On  this  land  there  is  a  mountain  ridge  covered 
with  snow.  We  think  this  land  is  Kamchatka; 
it  lies,  however,  between  N  and  W,  and  it  seems 
as  if  the  end  of  it  is  not  far.  On  the  sick  list  are  the 
Captain  Commander,  several  officers,  and  32  of 
the  crew. 

9 

4 

WNW 

10 

4Ji 

II 

4 

Let  out  two  reefs  in  main-topsail, clear  with  passing 
clouds. 

12 

3M 

Took  an  observation:  zenith  distance  72°  59'. 
declination  of  the  sun  18  "29',  latitude  54°  30'. 
The  daily  record  was  adjusted  to  this  observation. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

j}i  rhumb  E 

n  24  h 

ours 

From  Vaua 

J3 
S 

JO 

r2 

4 

si 

i 

c  c 

Zii 

•2SS 

QO 

.0 

e 

3 

9 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

w 

4°2i'N 

66 

N 
5' 

w 

657 

III. 7' 

S3°54' 

2°26' 

By 
Observation 

NW 
6°36'W 

66 

N 
41' 

W 

51-7 

88' 

54°30' 

34  K 

NE 
i°2o'E 

2°5o' 

•20  Copper  Island  (Medni  Island). 

'21  Khitrov's   journal:     "Sighted   land    with    high   snow-covered    mountains   SW    by 
S  7  German  miles." 


LANDING  ON  BERING  ISLAND 

'2^  November  5,  1741.     After  Midday 


209 


3 
0 

a 

0 

e 

•0 

e 

0 
0 

I 

3 

E/N 

SSEKE 

Reef-topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

2 

3 

3 

3 

ENE 

SE 

Let  out  reef  in  fore-topsail. 

4 

3 

s 

2H 

E/N 

N/E 

i>^ 

Tacked. 122 

6 

2H 

15^ 

Took  second  reef  in  main-topsail. 

7 

2>^ 

ENE 

N 

iM 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

8 

2J4 

1% 

Took  all  the  reefs  in  topsails,  furled  fore-topsail. 

9 

2H 

2 

Stars  out;  furled  main-topsail;  squally  clouds, 
snow,  undersail  wind. 

10 

2'A 

2H 

II 

2K 

2M 

12 

2M 

2M 

Squalls;  lowered  the  dead  body  of  the  soldier  into 
the  water. 

I 

2J^ 

2% 

2 

2% 

2% 

Drizzly,  rainy. 

3 

2'A 

NE/E 

N/W 

2% 

Raw,  chilly. 

4 

2K 

NMW 

2% 

Grenadier  Ivan  Nebaranov  died. 

5 

2 

ENE 

N 

2% 

Squalls,  snow;  sighted  land;  S  point  SE>iE  about 
3  German  miles. 

6 

2K 

2  '3 

123 

7 

2% 

2>4 

Cloudy.  On  the  sick  list  are  the  Captain  Com- 
mander, several  officers,  and  33  members  of  the 
crew  and  none  of  the  others  are  in  very  good 
health. 

8 

2fi 

NJ^W 

2M 

Captain  Commander  Bering,  his  officers,  and  the 
crew  met  to  discuss  the  question  of  going  to 
the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul.  We  had  few 
men  to  manage  the  ship;  12  of  our  number  were 
dead,  34  were  totally  disabled  from  scurvy,  only 
about  10  were  able  with  great  difficulty  to  get 
about  at  all  and  they  were  not  fit  for  all  kinds  of  sea 
duty.  Among  them  was  Lieutenant  Waxel.  We 
have  little  fresh  water.  Taking  all  these  factors 
into  consideration  it  was  decided  not  to  go  to  the 
Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  but  to  take  advan- 
tage of  the  wind  and  steer  for  the  shore  in  sight  in 
order  to  save  the  ship  and  the  men.  At  9  o'clock 
we  set  the  course  WSW  for  the  shore. 

9 

3 

NE 

wsw 

10 

2 

NNE 

II 

3 

Examined  the  main  shrouds  on  the  right  side  which 
had  been  damaged,  and  on  that  account  we  were 
obliged   to  lower  the   main  yards. 

12 

3 

N 

In  the  same  way  we  examined  those  on  the  left 
side  and  lowered  the  main-topmast. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

i>i  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua 

J3 

S 

3 

.J  0 

c 

A 

e 

2,3 

c  c 

0 

s 

3 

tii) 

B 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

NNW 

6^32'W 

30 

N 
26.3' 

W 

14.6 

2S' 

S4°56' 

37-V 

NE/N 
i°I4'E 

2°2S' 

(Footnotes  122  and  123  at  bollotn  of  next  page) 


2IO  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

2  November  6,  1741.     After  Midday 


si 

1 

■0 
a 

5 

3 
0 
0 

I 

N/E 

sw/s 

Topgallantsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

2 

iH 

Hoisted  the  main-topsail  on  the  cap. 

3 

1 M 

4 

iM 

Sounded  and  got  37  fathoms;  sandy  bottom. 

S 

$ 

Came  into  12  fathoms;  sandy  bottom;  furled  sails; 
dropped  small  bower  anchor  and  payed  out  J^i  of  a 
cable. 

6 

Cable  broke  at  80  fathoms,  and  the  ship  was  carried 
by  the  surf  into  5  fathoms  and  less;  we  dropped 
quickly  the  spare  anchor,  the  cable  of  which  also 
parted,  and  the  ship  was  taken  through  the  surf 
into  4, '3  fathoms.  We  put  over  the  best  bower 
anchor  and  payed  out  K  of  a  cable.  Because  of 
the  darkness  we  could  not  get  our  bearings. 

7 

8 

9 

10 

Calm 

II 

12 

N/E 

I 

N 

2 



W 

Topsail  wind,  chilly. 

3 

Clear  with  passing  clouds  and  snow. 

4 

s 

5 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

6 

One  point  of  the  land  bears  E  by  S  K  mile;  second 
point  NNW  8  German  miles. 

7 

8 

9 

NNW 

There  were  no  able  men  to  send  for  water,  and  in 
addition  a  heavy  swell  was  running. 

10 

II 

NW/W 

Put  over  the  longboat  into  the  water. 

12 

Light  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

iH  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Vaua  i-< 

B 

3 

ai 

.JO 

»  c 

c 

ti 

c 

B 

c  c 

/2 

E 

3 

be 

c 

0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

sw 

>iW 

6 

s 

3-8' 

w 
4.6 

7.8' 

S4°S2' 

3SK 

SW/S 
o°38'W 

2''I7' 

'■■^^  The  rhumb  here  seems  to  be  stated  exceptionally  as  direction  to  Vaua  from  the 
.ship;  from  Vaua  it  would  be  NE/N  o°38'  E.  The  value  for  the  difference  in  longitude 
between  Vaua  and  the  scene  of  the  St.  Peter's  stranding  on  Bering  Island,  2°I7',  indicates 
the  extent  of  the  error  in  the  reckoing  of  the  ship's  position.  The  true  value  is  about 
8°  20'.  On  the  general  question  of  error  in  longitude,  see  also  Waxel's  report,  p.  276; 
Chirikov's  report,  p.  322;  and  footnote  22,  p.  308. 

Footnotes  to  Log  of  November  J 

■22  Khitrov's  journal:  "Came  about  with  the  wind  to  get  away  from  the  shore.  The 
S  point  of  the  sighted  land  bore  SEKE." 

'-3  Khitrov's  journal:  "The  Captain  Commander,  officers,  and  crew  had  a  meeting 
and  decided  to  make  for  the  land  ahead  of  us.  We  could  not  go  on  because  we  had  no 
able-bodied  men,  our  rigging  was  rotten,  and  our  provisions  and  water  were  gone.  W  hen 
this  had  been  agreed  upon  we  came  about  with  the  wind  and  sailed  WSW." 


LANDING  ON  BERING  ISLAND  2H 

F")   November  7,  1741.     After  Midday^-'" 


3 

X 

0 

c 

•0 

c 

5 

u 
3 
0 

u 

a 

,-i 

I 



NW/\V 

— 

Lieutenant  Waxel  went  ashore  in  the  yawl  to  tinci 
fresh  water  and  a  suitable  place  for  landing  the 
sick. 

2 

3 

4 





S 

6 

7 

. 

8 

Hung  a  lantern  over  the  stern. 

9 

10 

N 

Lieutenant  Waxel  returned  and  reported  that  there 
was  plenty  of  fresh  water  but  no  wood  other  than 
driftwood  and  little  of  that. 

II 

12 

I 



N  /W 

2 

3 

4 

N/E 

High  wind;  6  inches  of  water  in  the  hold. 

S 

6 

7 

E/N 

8 

9 



ESE 

Warped  twice  with  the  best  bower  anchor  to  E; 
heaved  the  anchor  in  order  to  clear  it  of  the  spare 
anchor  cable,  which  had  wound  itself  around  the 
best  bower.  After  clearing  we  took  it  on  deck. 
On  the  sick  list  are  the  Captain  Commander  and 
48  others. 

10 

II 

12 

125  Khitrov's  journal.  From  November  7.  I74i  to  August  9,  1742.  inclusive, 
Khitrov's  journal  is  used.  During  this  period  Yushin's  journal  consists  of  a  general 
account  of  happenings.  These  have,  in  the  following,  been  inserted  in  their  proper 
planes  as  footnotes  to  Khitrov's  journal. 


212  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  November  8,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

a 

0 

a 

■0 

c 

3 
0 
U 

>, 

a 

I 

SE/S 

Warped  into  sM  fathoms  and  dropped  the  best 
bower  and  payed  out  H  cable.  We  put  out  one 
grappling  NE  on  N  and  another  one  E;  lowered  the 
foreyards  for  fear  of  the  wind. 

2 

3 

4 

s 

6 

7 

8 

SE 

9 

10 

II 

12 

S 

I 

2 

3 

ESE 

4 

S 

Boatswain  Nils  Jansen  died. 

6 

7 

8 

Went  ashore  and  took  with  me  lo  of  the  sick  sind 
the  ijody  of  the  boatswain  for  burial. 

9 

10 

II 

12 

The  boat  returned  from  shore. 

LANDING  ON  BERING  ISLAND 

^   November  q,  1741.     After  Midday 


213 


u 

3 
0 

s 

1 

■0 

c 

0 
0 

I 

High  wind. 

2 

NE 

Took  the  Captain  Commander  ashore. 

3 

4 

S 

6 

— 

NNW 

7 

8 

Boat  returned  from  shore;  took  out  of  the  hold  a 
spare  anchor,  put  it  in  place  of  the  other  spare  an- 
chor, and  dropped  it  NE. 

9 

10 

II 

12 

I 

2 

3 

4 

S 

Light  snow,  chilly. 

6 

7 



8 

Lowered  topmast,  topsail  yards;  did  not  unbend  the 
sails. 

9 

10 

II 

12 

214  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

(^  November  lo,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 

0 

0 

s 

T3 

c 

5 

3 
0 
U 

I 

NNW 

High  wind. 

2 

Lieutenant  Waxel,  I,  and  six  of  the  crew  went  ashore 
to  set  up  tents  for  the  sick. 

3 

4 

S 

6 

7 

8 



Assistant  Constable  Rosehus,  with  two  men,  followed 
the  beach  N  in  order  to  see  whether  there  are  any 
people  living  here. 

9 

10 

II 

12 

I 

2 

3 

4 

5 



6 

7 

8 

N 

9 

The  boat  returned  from  shore  with  the  same  men  who 
went  in  it  except  the  assistant  constable.  Heaved 
in  the  hawser  of  the  best  bower  on  the  right  side. 

10 

II 

12 

LANDING  ON  BERING  ISLAND 

^  November  ii,  1741.     After  Midday 


215 


a 
0 
X 

0 

B 

T3 
C 

2 

0 

u 

Ii 

t 

NNE 

Moderate  breeze,  drizzly. 

3 

3 

4 

NE 

Boatswain's   Mate   Ivan   [Ivanov]    was  sent   ashore 
with  five  men  to  put  up  tents  out  of  the  sails  for  the 

sick. 

S 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

10  o'clock  died  the  trumpeter  Mikhail  Toroptsov. 

II 

12 

I 

2 

3 

4 

— 

5 

6 

Snow. 

7 

8 

9 

10 

Hail  and  disagreeable  weather. 

It 

— 

\2 

NNE 

Chilly. 

2l6  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

If  November  12,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

0 
B 

■0 

c 

3 
0 
U 

a 

I 

N 

Light  wind. 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

NNW 

7 

8 

9 

10 

N 

II 

12 

Chilly,  snowy;    at  times  moon  is  seen. 

I 

2 

3 



4 

N/E 

S 

6 

7 

8 



9 

10 

II 

12 

At  times  sun  is  visible. 

LANDING  ON  BERING  ISLAND 

$  November  13,  1741-     After  Midday 


217 


3 

0 

0 
C 

■0 

c 

5 

3 
0 

U 

>, 

n 

I 

N/E 

Cloudy. 

2 

3 

4 

NE/E 

Fresh  breeze. 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

II 

12 

Hung  out  two  lights  on  the  main  shrouds  as  a  signal 
for  the  boat  to  come  from  shore. 

I 

2 

3 

4 

S 

6 

— 

7 

8 

Frost,  snow.  Signaled  with  ensign  for  the  boat  to 
come  for  we  have  only  one  barrel  of  water  on  board. 

9 

10 

II 

12 

2i8  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

\^  November  14,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

X 

1 

•0 
c 

3 
0 

to 
t 

I 



N 

Drizzly,  snow,  fresh  breeze. 

2 

3 

4 

S 

6 

7 

8 

Hoisted  two  lanterns  as  a  signal  for  the  boat  to  come. 

9 

10 

II 

12 

N/W 

I 

2 

3 

4 

S 

6 

7 

8 

Signaled  from  ensign  staff. 

9 

10 

II 

12 

Wind  as  before. 

LANDING  ON  BERING  ISLAND 

{v)  November  is.  J74i-     After  Midday 


219 


3 
0 

0 

c 

•0 

B 

2 

0 

J 

I 

N\V 

Light  air.      Boat  came  with  a    barrel  of  water,   re- 
turned   to    shore    with    7    sick    men.       Sailor    Ivan 
Emelianov,  the  cannoneer  Ilya  Dergachev,  and  the 
Siberian  soldier  Vasili  Popkov  died  on  board  before 
they   could    be    removed    ashore.      Sailor    Seliverst 
Tarakanov  died  as  he  was  being  landed. 

2 

3 

4 

S 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

II 

12 

I 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

NNW 

7 

8 

9 

10 

II 

12 

220  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  November  i6,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 

0 

X 

0 

s 

•0 

c 

1 

a 

I 

N 

Fresh  breeze. 

2 

3 

4 

NNE 

Strong  wind  and  heavy  sea  which  frequently  washes 
over  our  deck. 

S 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

II 

12 

I 

2 

3 

— 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

NE/N 

On  account  of  the  frost  the  boat  and  the  rigging  are 
iced.  The  Siberian  soldier  Savin  Stepanov,  who 
died  on  board,  was  taken  ashore. 

9 

10 

II 

12 

LANDING  ON  BERING  ISLAND 

(^  November  17,  1741.     After  Midday 


221 


3 

0 

0 

n 

•a 
a 

3 
0 
0 

n 
is 

I 

NE 

Went  ashore  in  the  yawl. 

2 

3 

4 

S 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

II 

12 

I 

— 

2 

3 

4 

S 

6 

7 

8 

During  the  day  the  sea  poured  into  our  ship  over  the 
sides  and  near  the  forecastle. 

9 

— 

10 

II 

12 

A  strong  wind  blew,  and  the  air  was  chilly. 

222  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^  November  i8,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

0 

c 

T3 
C 

0 

>> 

CO 

t 

I 

NE/E 

Strong  wind. 

2 

3 

4 

S 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

II 

12 

Wind  died  down  a  bit  near  midnight,  stars  shining, 
cold. 

I 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 



10 

1 1 

i.> 

Signaled  with  ensign  for  the  boat  to  come. 

LANDING  ON  BERING  ISLAND 

2|   November  19,  1741.     After  Midday 


223 


u 
3 
0 

0 

c 

I 
3 
0 
U 

I 

s 

Light  air,  drizzly,   uncomfortable  weather. 

2 

3 

4 

The  boat  has  not  yet  returned  from  shore,  and  there 
are  only  four  buckets  of  water  on  board. 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

I 

2 

3 

4 

NNE 

S 

6 

Spare  anchor  is  fouled ;  and  we  stand  on  one  anchor, 
the  best  bower.  Fired  three  guns;  flew  a  red  flag  from 
main  shrouds  to  call  the  boat.  Sailor  Nikita  Ovtsin 
died. 

7 

8 



9 

10 

II 

12 

224  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^November  20,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 

0 

0 

c 

•a 

c 

1 

w 
3 
0 

U 

I 

SE 

Light  air,  drizzly. 

2 

3 

4 

E 

S 

6 

7 

8 

Snow. 

9 

10 

II 

12 

Lowered  into  the  sea  the  dead  bodies  on  board. 

I 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 



7 

8 

Light  air.    Sailor  Mark  Antipin  died  ashore. 

9 

10 

II 

12 

LANDING  ON  BERING  ISLAND 

f^   November  21,  17 41.    After  Midday 


225 


u 
3 
0 

X 

^ 
g 

u 
3 
0 

U 

a 

I 

This  day  Lieutenant  Waxel  and  the  other  men  who 
were  ill  left  the  ship  and  went  ashore.  There  re- 
mained on  board  Assistant  Constable  Roselius  and 
the  Siberian  soldier  Ignatius  Ivonik. 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

— 

7 

8 

9 

10 

II 

12 

I 

2 

3 

« 

4 

S 

6 

Captain  Commander  ordered  that  Lieutenant  Waxel 
with  all  the  members  of  the  crew  should  hold  a  con- 
sultation as  to  the  best  way  of  saving  the  ship. 

7 

8 

9 

10 

II 

12 

226  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

^)  November  22,  1741.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

X 

2 
0 

s 

3 
0 
u 

I 

This  day  there  died  onshore  the  navigator  Andreyan 
Eselberg.      On   account   of   sickness    I    had   to   stop 
keeping  a  regular  journal  and  am  just  making  notes 
like  this. 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

II 

12 

I 

2 

3 

4 

S 

6 



7 

8 



9 

10 

II 

12 

VAIN  ATTEMPTS  TO  SAVE  THE  SHIP  22; 

(^  November  23,  17 41.     After  Midday 


0 

0 

c 

•0 
c 

5 

0 

u 

0 

0 

1 

I 

This  day  we  handed  to  the  Captain  Commander  a 
report  on  the  saving  of  the  ship.     It  is  signed  by 
Lieutenant   Waxel,    by   me,    and   by   all    the   lower 
officers   and   crew.      An   exact   copy   of   the   report 
follows. 

2 

3 

4 

S 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 



II 

12 

I 

2 

3 



4 

5 

6 



7 

8 

9 



10 

II 

12 

228  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

November  23,  1741 

Report  on  Saving  the  Ship 

To  His  Highness  Captain  Commander  Ivan  Ivanovich  Bering: 

On  November  21,  1741.  your  highness  ordered  me,  the  undersigned,  to  consult 
with  the  higher  officers  and  the  crew  as  to  the  best  way  of  saving  the  St.  Peter  with 
the  provisions  and  material  on  board  and  also  as  to  a  place  where  she  might  be 
hauled  up  for  the  winter.  In  accordance  with  your  order  I,  Fleet  Master  Sofron 
Khitrov,  all  lower  officers,  and  members  of  the  crew  met  on  November  22  to  discuss 
these  points. 

1.  The  St.  Peter  has  one  anchor  out,  the  best  bower,  and  its  cable  is  not  very 
dependable.  We  have  no  other  anchors  or  grapplings  aside  from  the  8-pood  grap- 
pling. As  you  know,  the  ship  lies  out  in  the  open  sea  and  if  a  strong  wind  should 
come  up  from  the  east,  southeast,  west  or  northwest,  one  anchor  would  not  hold. 
On  the  east,  north,  and  west  there  are  rocky  reefs.  If  a  strong  wind  should  blow  up 
from  the  south,  or  from  between  south  and  west,  the  ship  would  be  driven  out  to  sea. 

2.  We  therefore  agreed  that  at  high  tide  the  boat  should  be  hauled  up  on  the 
sandy  beach  facing  it  and  made  fast  with  hawsers.  The  water  casks  should  not  be 
emptied,  the  ballast  should  not  be  taken  out,  and  the  cargo  should  not  be  disturbed 
now;  all  these  things  can  be  done  later  in  the  winter,  if  nothing  interferes.  In  order 
to  save  the  provisions  from  the  water  in  the  ship,  cables  should  be  put  under  them. 

We  have  no  other  suggestion  to  make,  and  we  leave  the  matter  for  your  highness' 
decision.  Something  must  be  done  at  once  to  save  the  vessel  because  of  the  winds, 
which  may  cause  us  to  lose  both  the  ship  and  supplies. 

Lieutenant  Sven  Waxel 
Fleet  Master  Sofron  Khitrov 
Assistant  Navigator  Kharlam  Yushin 
Assistant  Skipper  Nikita  Khotvaintsov 
Assistant  Constable  Boris  Roselius 
Boatswain's  Mate  Alexei  Ivanov 

For  the  quartermaster,  Luka  Alexeiev,  for  all  the  crew,  and  for  himself  the  sailor 
Timofei  Anchiugov  signed. 

On  the  above  written  report  on  the  saving  of  the  St.  Peter,  I  received, 
this  23rd  day  of  November,  an  order  from  the  Captain  Commander  to 
carry  out  the  recommendations  of  the  report  at  the  very  first  oppor- 
tunity.   I  am  now  waiting  for  favorable  weather  to  do  so. 

November  24,  1741 
Strong  wind,  impossible  to  go  aboard. 

November  25,  1741 
Strong  wind,  impossible  to  go  aboard. 


VAIN  ATTEMPTS  TO  SAVE  THE  SHIP  229 

November  26,  1741^'^^ 

Today  I  am  quite  ill  with  scurvy  and  can  barely  stand  on  my  feet. 
Nevertheless,  this  morning  I  went  to  the  boatswain's  mate,  Alexei 
Ivanov,  and  [told  him  to  go]  to  the  Captain  Commander  and  say  that  I 
am  ready  to  go  aboard  the  ship  in  order  to  lay  it  up  if  this  can  be  done. 
The  Captain  Commander  told  Ivanov  that  in  case  the  ship  could  not  be 
hauled  up  we  should  at  least  bring  ashore  as  much  of  the  provisions  as  we 
could.  When  I  walked  down  to  the  beach  to  go  on  board  I  was  told  by 
the  above-mentioned  Ivanov,  who  was  on  watch  that  day,  that  he  had 
only  five  able-bodied  men.  In  pushing  out  the  yawl  one  of  them,  the 
soldier  Elizar  Zaikov,  got  wet  and  had  to  go  back  to  the  tent;  and  this 
left  four  men,  namely  the  sailor  Timofei  Anchiugov,  the  soldier  Grigori 
Izmailov,  the  Kamchatka  servant  Ivan  Partinyagin,  and  the  Chukchi  and 
Koriak  interpreter  Alexei  Lazukov.  They  were  so  weak  that  I  realized 
that  they  could  never  weigh  the  best  bower  anchor.  In  addition,  the 
wind  was  between  north  and  west  straight  on  the  rocky  reef  which 
lay  from  the  ship  between  south  and  east  not  more  than  150  fathoms 
away. 

The  shrouds  and  yards  were  also  down.  Although  we  might  have 
enlisted  a  few  more  men,  yet  because  of  the  reef  and  the  wind  it  did  not 
seem  safe  to  try  to  lay  up  the  ship  as  we  had  recommended  in  the  report. 
When  I  saw  the  impossibility  of  carrying  out  the  task  I  went  to  Lieu- 
tenant Waxel  and  verbally  explained  the  situation.  He  told  me  to  report 
to  the  Captain  Commander,  which  I  did  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning 
and  gave  him  the  reasons  already  mentioned.  When  I  left  him  I  went 
to  see  the  sailor  Dimitri  Ovtsin  who  acted  as  the  captain's  adjutant, 
and  told  him  to  make  a  written  statement  of  what  has  taken  place  and 
enumerate  the  reasons  I  gave. 

November  27,  17 41 
Today  I  was  so  ill  that  I  could  not  leave  the  tent  for  any  reason.     In 
the  same  tent  are  Lieutenant  Waxel  and  a  number  of  the  crew. 

12«  Yushin's  journal: 

Various  Happenings  in  1741  After  November  6 

This  month  from  the  6th  to  the  22nd  we  had  at  times  fair  wind  and  weather,  but  at 
other  times  the  winds  were  so  strong  that  it  was  impossible  to  come  ashore.  The  sick 
were  landed,  and  huts  were  made  for  them  by  digging  holes  in  the  ground  and  covering 
them  over  with  sails.  After  the  22nd  we  were  all  ashore  and  the  St.  Peter  was  at  anchor 
without  a  man  on  board,  for  there  was  no  one  well  enough  to  stand  watch  or  to  unrig 
the  ship;  some  of  the  men  could  not  even  move  from  their  places  and  others  were  at 
the  point  of  death. 

According  to  our  reckoning  we  were  in  Kamchatka,  and  therefore  the  assistant  con- 
stable Roselius.  with  two  men  from  Kamchatka,  was  sent  north  to  examine  the  shore. 
Roselius  returned  in  six  days,  after  having  walked  more  than  so  versts.  because  he  and 
hia  mea  were  so  exhausted  that  they  could  not  go  farther. 


230  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

November  28,  17 41 

I  was  told  this  morning  that  during  the  northeast  storm  the  anchor 
cable  broke  and  the  St.  Peter  was  driven  ashore  on  the  spot  where  we 
had  planned  to  lay  her  up. 

December  i,  17 41 
Captain  Commander  Bering  sent  the  sailor  Timofei  Anchiugov  with 
two  men  to  examine  the  shore  and  to  determine  whether  we  are  on  the 
mainland  or  on  some  island.    They  were  also  to  keep  a  lookout  for  forests. 

December  4,  174 J 
The  calker  Alexei  Klementev  died. 

December  8,  17 41 
5  A.  M.     Captain  Commander  Bering  died,  and  Lieutenant  Waxel 
succeeded  to  the  command. 

December  9,  1741 
Assistant  Skipper  Nikita  Khotyaintsov  died. 

December  17,  17  41 
Grenadier  Ivan  Tretyakov  died. 

December  27,  1741^-'' 

Cannoneer  Prokofei  Efintsov  died. 

The  sailor  Timofei  Anchiugov  returned  without  bringing  any  informa- 
tion about  the  land  [we  are  on]. 

January  2,  1742 
The  soldier  Fedor  Panov  died. 

January  7,  1742 

II  p.  M.  died  the  petty  officer  Ivan  Lagunov. 

127  Vushin's  journal: 

The  Month  of  December,   1741 

By  the  will  of  God  a  strong  NE  wind  broke  the  cable  and  drove  the  ship  ashore  near 
us.  Its  left  side  below  the  water  line  was  badly  damaged,  the  rudder  was  lost,  and  it 
suffered    other    injuries    as    well. 

The  sailor  Anchiugov.  with  the  two  men  from  Kamchatka  already  mentioned,  were 
ordered  south  to  obtain  information.  He  was  gone  about  four  weeks  but  did  not  learn 
anything  definite.  He  said  that  he  thought  that  we  were  on  an  island.  He  could  not 
follow  the  shore  for  any  considerable  distance  because  of  the  cliffs.  He  reported  seeing 
many  herds  of  sea  otters.  At  the  end  of  December  I  began  to  recover  somewhat  from 
my  illness. 


DEATH  OF  BERING  231 


January  18,  1742 
Statement  on  the  Condition  of  the  Ship 

Lieutenant  Waxel,  Master  Khitrov,  the  lower  officers  and  crew  of  the  St.  Peter 
met  on  this  day  to  inspect  the  ship  and  determine  whether  it  is  fit  for  the  continua- 
tion of  our  voyage.    The  condition  of  the  ship  was  as  follows: 

1.  The  bottom,  keel,  sternpost  and  stem  were  all  damaged,  and  the  rudder  was 
carried  out  to  sea. 

2.  There  was  not  a  single  anchor  for  the  voyage,  and  there  was  no  hope  that  we 
could  recover  one  of  those  lost. 

3.  The  rigging,  shrouds,  cables  are  not  to  be  depended  on;  they  snap  and  tear, 
and  some  are  already  torn. 

4.  It  is  impossible  that  the  ship  could  be  moved  from  its  present  position  because 
it  is  already  deeply  buried  in  the  sand. 

5.  Below  the  water  line  on  the  left  side  there  is  a  crack  crossways. 
Therefore,  the  ship  is  not  fit  for  a  continuation  of  our  voyage  further. 

Lieutenant  Sven  Waxel 
Master  Sofron  Khitrov 

All  the  lower  officers  and  crew  of  the  St.  Peter,  except  the  sailor  Dimitri 
Ovtsin,  signed  this. 

Counterstatement  by  the  Sailor  Dimitri  Ovtsin 

To  His  Highness  Lieutenant  Waxel: 

You  commanded  that  the  crew  should  meet  on  January  22  to  sign  the  report  that 
the  St.  Peter  is  no  longer  fit  for  our  voyage,  and  these  were  the  reasons  given. 

1.  The  bottom,  ke^l,  sternpost,  and  stem  were  damaged,  and  the  rudder  was 
gone,  and  it  is  impossible  to  examine  the  inside  because  of  the  water  in  the  hold. 

2.  We  have  not  a  single  anchor,  and  there  is  no  hope  of  finding  one. 

3.  The  rigging,  shrouds,  ropes  are  not  to  be  depended  on,  for  they  break  and  in 
many  places  are  already  broken. 

4.  It  is  not  probable  that  the  ship  can  be  moved  from  its  place,  since  it  is  deeply 
buried  in  the  sand. 

5.  Below  the  waterline  there  is  a  crack  crossways.  Therefore,  the  ship  is  unfit 
for  further  service. 

On  these  points  I  should  like  to  comment  to  your  highness: 
r.   The  sternpost  and  stem  are  not  so  badly  injured  that  they  cannot  be  repaired; 
although  the  false  stem  is  gone,  another  can  be  made.    As  to  the  condition  of  the 
bottom,  it  can  hardly  be  ascertained  now  owing  to  the  snow  and  ice.    Another  rudder 
can  be  made,  and  timber  for  that  purpose  could  probably  be  found. 

2.  We  have  not  yet  tried  to  recover  the  anchors,  and  it  is  not  too  much  to  expect 
that  they  may  be  found  in  summer.  In  the  spring  the  winds  are  surely  not  as  bad  as 
in  the  fall,  and  the  weather  may  become  favorable  so  that  we  could  get  the  ship  in  a 
position  to  repair  it. 

3.  Some  of  the  bad  rigging  could  be  repaired,  other  parts  could  be  replaced  from 
the  stores;  we  have  also  spare  ropes  in  case  of  need.  If,  of  the  four  anchors,  we  find 
two,  we  should  have  enough  for  our  purpose. 


232  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

4.  Because  of  the  snow  and  ice  it  is  difficult  to  say  whether  the  ship  can  be 
floated;  if  it  can  be  floated,  it  can  be  repaired  and  used  with  the  help  of  Almighty 
God. 

5.  At  present  it  is  difficult  to  say  how  badly  damaged  the  bottom  is;  and,  even 
if  it  were,  it  could  be  repaired. 

These  are  my  views,  and  these  are  the  reasons  why  I  refuse  to  sign  the  report  to 
the  effect  that  the  ship  was  unfit  for  further  service. 

Sailor  Dimitri  Ovtsin 
January  27,  1742. 

January  29,  1742 
Rebuttal 
Lieutenant  Waxel,  Fleet  Master  Khitrov,  all  the  lower  officers  and  members  of 
the  crew  of  the  St.  Peter  met  today  to  listen  to  the  reading  of  the  statement  of 
Dimitri  Ovtsin  which  he  handed  to  Lieutenant  Waxel  on  January  27  of  this  year. 
In  this  document  Ovtsin  said  that  he  hoped  that  the  St.  Peter  could  be  saved,  that 
it  could  be  floated,  that  the  damage  could  be  repaired,  that  is  to  say  the  stem  and 
everything  else,  that  a  new  rudder  could  be  made  out  of  timber  to  be  found  on  the 
island,  and  that  the  anchors  lost  at  sea  near  here  could  be  recovered.  After  listening 
to  his  statement  and  reasons  they  were  rejected  by  all  who  were  present,  because  on 
January  18  they  had  examined  the  ship  and  found  it  unseaworthy.  A  report  on 
this  subject  had  been  made  and  was  signed  by  the  officers  and  crew.  Even  if  the 
ship  were  sound  it  could  not  be  floated  since  we  have  no  anchor,  no  timber,  and 
not  enough  men  for  such  work.  Taking  all  this  into  consideration  it  was  agreed 
(Ovtsin  dissenting)  that  in  March  the  St.  Peter  should  be  broken  up  and  out  of  the 
wreck  some  kind  of  small  vessel  should  be  made  to  take  us  to  Kamchatka.  In  the 
meantime  we  should  watch  for  an  opportunity  when  the  weather  is  favorable  to 
empty  out  the  water  from  the  hold  and  to  inspect  again  the  ship  with  a  view  of 
determining  its  seaworthiness. 

Lieutenant  Sven  Waxel 
Master  Sofron  Khitrov  and 
all  the  officers  and  men  ex- 
cept the  Sailor  Ovtsin 

February  23,  1742 
Assistant  Navigator  Yushin  with  four  men  was  ordered  to  follow  the 
shore  to  latitude  56°  10'  N,  which  was  the  position  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Kamchatka  River.    On  the  way  he  was  to  make  a  careful  observation  of 
the  country. 

March  8,  1742 

Yushin  and  his  party  returned  and  reported  that  he  had  not  gone 
farther  than  70  versts  from  our  camp  because  his  advance  was  blocked  by 
a  rocky  bluff  which  could  not  be  passed  even  at  low  water.  A  fierce 
bUzzard  interfered  also.  Yushin  said  that  when  he  was  about  50  versts 
from  camp  he  sighted  land  to  the  eastward,  about  10  miles  away,  which 
seemed  like  an  island. '^'^ 

wo  See  bracketed  statement  in  third  paragraph  from  bottom  of  p.  237. 


ON  BERING  ISLAND  233 

March  10,  1742 
Lieutenant  VVaxel,  Fleet  Master  Khitrov,  all  the  lower  officers,  and  the 
crew  had  another  meeting  to  discuss  Yushin's  report.     Since  it  told  them 
nothing  definite  about  the  land,  it  was  decided  to  send  another  party 
under  the  boatswain's  mate  Alexei  Ivanov. 

March  15,  1742 
Ivanov  with  four  men  was  sent  along  the  shore  to  explore  the  land. 

March  ig,  1742 
Ivanov  came  back  and  reported  that  bluffs  blocked  his  way  to  the 
westward. 

March  22,  1742 

Ivanov  was  sent  out  again  with  instructions  to  exert  himself  to  the 
utmost  to  proceed  farther  and  secure  some  reliable  information. 

April  7,  1742 
Ivanov  and  his  party  returned  and  reported  that  we  were  on  an  island 
because  he  had  doubled  the  northern  cape  on  the  other  side,  which  is 
about  150  versts  from  our  camp. 

April  Q,  1742 

Decision  Made  on  Determination  That  Land  Is  an  Island 

Lieutenant  VVaxel,  Fleet  Master  Sofron  Khitrov,  Doctor  Georg  Steller,  all  the 
lower  officers  and  crew  of  the  Si.  Peter  met  to  discuss  the  report  of  Ivanov.  He  said 
that  the  land  on  which  we  live  is  an  island  because  he  had  doubled  the  last  northern 
cape  on  the  western  side  and  it  was  therefore  evident  that  we  were  on  an  island. 
In  order  to  reach  Kamchatka  it  was  decided  to  break  up  the  St.  Peter  because  it 
was  not  fit  for  further  sea  service,  because  it  cannot  be  floated,  and  because  of  other 
reasons  already  mentioned,  and  make  out  of  it  some  kind  of  small  vessel. 

It  was  agreed  that  during  the  period  of  the  vessel's  construction  a  number  of  our 
men  under  the  leadership  of  Yushin  should  be  detailed  to  hunt  and  to  supply  the 
camp  with  meat.  Whatever  they  got  should  be  divided  equally  among  all  accord- 
ing to  the  size  of  each  group.  From  the  stores  of  flour  left  after  the  April  distribu- 
tion, 10  sacks  should  be  set  aside  for  the  Kamchatka  voyage.  Until  the  voyage, 
the  allowance  should  be  reduced  below  that  which  had  been  allowed. 

Lieutenant  Sven  Waxel 

Fleet  Master  Safron  Khitrov  and  all  the  men 

May  2,  1742 
Lieutenant  Waxel,  Fleet  Master  Khitrov,  the  lower  officers,  and  some 
members  of  the  crew  looked  about  for  a  suitable  place  for  building  and 
launching  a  boat.    Such  a  spot  was  found  on  the  beach  directly  in  front 
of  the  ship. 


234  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

May  6,  1742 
With  God's  help  we  began  the  building  of  the  ship  by  erecting  the  stem 
and  the  sternpost.    It  is  to  have  a  length  of  36  feet,  a  12-foot  beam,  and 
depth  of  5  feet  3  inches. 

July  I,  1742 
I  started  along  the  beach  toward  S  in  order  to  examine  the  channel 
between  us  and  the  islands  '^*  sighted  and  to  see  whether  we  could 
use  it  when  we  sailed  from  here.  I  was  also  anxious  to  learn  whether 
there  was  some  good  harbor  along  the  coast.  Alexei  Ivanov  went  in  the 
yawl  to  see  if  he  could  find  the  anchors,  but  did  not  locate  any  except  the 
8-pood  grappling. 

July  0,  1742 
About  7  p.  M.  I  returned  with  my  party.    We  found  a  channel  between 
the  islands  but  no  harbor.    I  should  say  that  it  is  about  50  versts  to  the 
southern  cape. 

July  13,  1742 
Alexei  Ivanov  went  again  to  look  for  the  anchors  but  was  unsuccessful. 
Weather  clear  and  sunshiny.     I  received  an  order  to  make  an  inventory 
of  all  that  we  are  to  leave  on  the  island. 

July  15,  1742 
Light  air  from  W,  weather  clear  and  sunshiny.     When  the  ship  was 
broken  up  Lieutenant  Waxel,  I,  the  lower  officers,  and  those  members  of 
the  crew  who  were  engaged  in  the  work  inspected  her  and  found  that  she 
was  injured  in  twelve  places. 

July  24,  1742 

Yushin  went  in  search  of  the  anchors  and  did  not  find  them. 

Light  air  from  SW,  fine  weather. 

Midshipman  Ivan  Sint  handed  in  his  report  of  July  i,  and  with  it  was 
a  list  of  the  baggage  and  provisions  each  person  had.  The  following  is 
an  exact  copy: 

128  Khitrov  was  under  the  impression  that  Copper  Island  was  two  islands.  See  brack- 
eted statement  in  next-to-last  paragraph  on  p.  237. 


ON  BERING  ISLAND 

List  of  Baggage  of  Each  Member  of  the  Expedition 


235 


Rank  and  Name 
Officers 

Lieutenant  Sven  Waxel 

Master  Sofron  Khitrov      

Adjunct  Stellar 

Ass't  Navigator  Kharlam  Yushin 

Ass't  Constable  Boris  Roselius 

Ass't  Surgeon  Matis  Betge        

Surgeon  Apprentice  Arkhip  Konavalov      

Boatswain's  Mate  Alexei  Ivanov 

Midshipman  Ivan  Sint       

Boatswain's  Mate  helper  Luka  Alexeiev 

Cannoneer  Michael  Chechuev 

Andrei  Kransnoi 

Gulakhition  Ivanov 

Soldier  Ignatius  Ivonik 

Sailors 

Vasili  Perfieev 

Vasili  Avechin 

Ivan  Semenov 

Lavrenti  Smetanik 

Dimitri  Ovtsin 

Timofei  Anchiugov 

Dimitri  Alavenishkov 

Stepan  Nikiforov 

Cooper  Vasili  Severgin 

Sailmaker  Denis  Sarokin 

Blacksmith  Dimitri  Kuleksa 

Trumpeter  Martin  Vasilev 

Siberian  Carpenters 

Prokofei  Chekalov      

Sava  Starodubtsov 

Jeremiah  Tonkikh      

Servartts  of  the  Captain  Commander 

Ivan  Maltsan 

Mafiei  Kukushkin 

Soldiers 

Maffei  Antropov 

Fedor  Darafeev 

Elizar  Zykov 

Ivan  Okulov 

Grigori  Kaigorodal 

Grigori  Izmailov 

Stepan  Zhegalov 

Astafci  Baiarkin 

Dimitri  Kalodin      

The  Corporal  of  Okhotsk  Harbor 
Frederic  Plenisner 

Employees  of  Kamchatka  Fort 

Ivan  Partinyagin 

Alexei  Lazukov 

Cossack's  son  Peter  Verkhaturov 

Employee  of  Upper  Kamchatka  Fort 
Toma  Lcpekhin 

Total  of  baggage  and  provisions  in  possession  of  all  ranks 


Poods 


Pounds 


236  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

August  I,  1742 

Decision  on  Disposition  of  Supplies 

Lieutenant  Waxel,  Fleet  Master  Khitrov,  all  lower  officers  and  members  of  the 

crew  of  the  St.  Peter  met.    Our  ship  with  God's  help  will  soon  be  finished.     The 

question  came  up  what  to  do  with  all  the  supplies  and  materials  on  hand  which  we 

cannot  take  along  for  the  following  reasons. 

1.  To  take  all  that  material  along  would  oblige  us  to  leave  behind  half  or  more 
of  the  crew,  and  to  leave  these  men  on  an  unknown  and  uninhabited  island  is  dan- 
gerous. There  is  little  food  to  be  had  here  aside  from  what  may  be  obtained  by 
hunting  sea  animals,  and  even  this  source  cannot  be  depended  upon.  Since  our 
coming  the  game  has  been  frightened  away  and  driven  off,  and  one  may  not  in  the 
future  rely  on  hunting. 

2.  Of  the  materials  and  other  supplies  on  hand  only  a  small  part  could  be  taken 
along,  but  owing  to  the  autumn  storms  of  this  region  it  would  not  be  safe  to  over- 
load our  vessel.  A  large  part  of  the  supplies  and  materials  is  worthless  and  rotten, 
as  may  be  seen  from  the  inventory  129  made  out  by  Fleet  Master  Khitrov. 

3.  Although  a  small  part  of  the  above-mentioned  material  is  good,  yet  it  is  not 
worth  while  to  leave  some  one  to  watch  it,  because  the  island  is  uninhabited. 

4.  If  we  should  leave  a  guard,  we  should  have  to  come  after  him  next  year. 
There  is  no  harbor  here,  nothing  but  rocks  and  reefs  and  the  open  sea,  and  there 
is  great  danger  of  wrecking  the  vessel. 

5.  Taking  all  these  arguments  into  consideration,  the  undersigned  have  unani- 
mously agreed  to  leave  no  one  behind.  Of  the  materials  we  should  take  iron  enough 
to  serve  as  ballast;  of  supplies,  water,  several  casks  of  sea  cow  meat,  and  such 
other  things  as  we  need  for  the  voyage. 

All  else  should  be  left  in  the  warehouses  to  be  constructed. 

Lieutenant  Sven  Waxel,  Fleet  Master  Sofron  Khitrov, 
all  the  lower  officers  and  crew 

Description  of  Bering  Island  'S" 

(A  Description  of  the  Island  On  Which  We   Lived  From  November,  1741,  To 
August  13,  1742,  (to  which  are  added]  Certain  Observations  Which  I  Made.) 
By  agreement  with  Lieutenant  Waxel  I  called  the  island  "Bering  Island"  after 

the  late  Captain  Commander  Vitus  Bering,  who  died  and  was  buried  there. 

This  island  extended  from  latitude  54°  to  56°  N,  that  is  from  the  southern  cape, 

which  we  called  Manati,  that  is  to  say  Sea  Cow.    The  island  lies  between  NNW 

[and  SSE?1  and  is  about  130  versts  long  and  from  7  to  10  versts  wide.    There  are 

'*  The  inventory  exists  but  has  not  been  included  in  the  present  work, 
wo  Yushin's  journal: 

Various  Happenings  in   1742 

On  different  days  and  months  we  secured  information  which  led  us  to  believe  that  we 
were  on  an  island.  This  island  is  about  eighteen  German  miles  long  and  its  axis  lies 
NW  and  SE.  It  is  wider  in  the  north  than  in  the  south,  averaging,  from  N  to  S,  15. 
10,  8,  and  6  versts.  It  is  impo.ssible  to  go  around  some  parts  of  the  island  on  account 
of  the  cliffs  and  rocky  beaches,  which  I  myself  saw  in  many  places.  There  are  some  bays 
around  the  island.  It  is  not  safe  to  approach  the  island  nearer  than  about  5  versts. 
Across  from  our  camp,  or  on  the  south  side,  there  is  a  lake  about  i  verst  in  circumference, 
and  out  of  the  lake  a  river  flows  into  the  sea.  This  river  is  about  100  fathoms  in  length 
and  IS  in  width.  I  think  that  a  small  vessel,  drawing  not  more  than  s  feet  of  water, 
could  enter  this  stream  at  high  tide  during  the  months  of  May  and  June.    In  the  autumn 


ON  BERING  ISLAND  237 

no  habitations  on  the  island  and  no  signs  that  there  ever  were  any.  It  is  a  treeless 
region;  there  is  no  wood  on  it  at  all  except  in  a  few  spots  where  a  few  willows  grow, 
and  they  are  so  small  that  they  are  worthless  for  [fire]  wood.  There  are  mountain 
ridges,  many  volcanoes,  and  rocky  bluffs;  and  therefore  [it  is]  quite  unsafe  for  ships 
to  come  near.  The  shore  is  everywhere  rocky,  some  of  the  rocks  extend  a  verst  or 
more  into  the  sea.  In  high  water  they  are  covered  up,  and  in  low  water  they  are 
exposed.  In  those  places  where  the  shore  is  not  rocky  a  heavy  surf  runs.  There 
is  no  spot  where  a  vessel  drawing  five  or  six  feet  of  water  may  winter.  We  put  our- 
selves to  a  great  deal  of  trouble  in  looking  for  such  a  place — the  boatswain's  mate, 
Alexei  Ivanov,  was  sent  to  the  northern  cape,  and  I  went  to  the  southern.  There 
is  only  one  spot,  on  the  other  [W]  side  of  the  island  from  our  cape,  where  a  vessel 
might  go  in.  There  is  a  lake  over  there  which  has  an  outlet  to  the  sea,  and  in  time 
of  high  water  a  ship  might  enter  the  lake  and  remain  during  the  winter.  But  one 
cannot  be  sure  even  of  this;  for  each  year  the  old  channel  fills  up,  and  a  new  channel 
is  formed.  Whether  the  entrance  is  always  as  [open?]  as  when  we  were  there  it  is 
impossible  to  say. 

When  the  west  wind  blew,  it  brought  from  Kamchatka  to  this  island  building 
timber  which  had  been  in  use,  [such  as]  smashed  boats  and  Koriak  deer  sleds.  When 
the  east  wind  blew  it  brought  from  America  big  pine  trees,  oars,  and  weapons  such 
as  are  used  by  the  natives  of  America  but  not  by  those  of  Kamchatka. 

When  the  weather  was  clear  many  of  our  men  claimed  that  from  the  western 
side  of  our  island  they  saw  more  than  once  snow-covered  volcanoes  to  the  west- 
ward. We  assumed  from  our  reckoning  that  they  must  be  on  Kamchatka  but  we 
could  not  be  sure. 

During  the  whole  time  that  we  were  on  this  island  we  suffered  great  hardships. 
Our  habitations  were  holes  in  the  sand  covered  over  with  sails.  We  had  to  search 
the  beach  for  driftwood,  which  we  had  to  carry  on  our  shoulders  lo  and  12  versts. 
At  that  very  time  nearly  all  of  us  were  very  ill  with  scurvy  which  hung  on  so  long 
that  some  of  the  men  did  not  completely  recover  until  spring,  when  green  grass 

the  mouth  of  the  river  is  covered  with  driftwood,  and  the  surf  plays  there.  The  lake  is 
deep  enough,  I  think.  I  have  sounded  and  got  3  feet  [along  the  shore?),  and  at  the  mouth 
of  the  river  the  depth  is  6  feet.  On  the  western  side  of  the  island  there  is  a  breeding  place 
for  fur  seals  and  sea  lions.  They  came  in  the  beginning  of  April,  and  soon  their  large 
numbers  covered  the  beach.  We  used  them  for  food  when  the  sea  otters  became  scarce 
in  the  spring. 

By  common  consent  we  began  to  break  up  the  St.'  Peter  in  April,  and  in  May  we  laid 
the  keel  of  the  new  vessel,  which  measured  36  feet  at  the  keel.  Ten  men  were  detailed 
for  shipbuilding,  the  others,  petty  officers  and  crew,  broke  up  the  old  ship  and  brought 
the  meat  from  the  .south  side,  a  distance  of  about  is  versts  over  the  hills.  Each  man 
carried  about  2  poods,  and  it  was  hard  work.  An  additional  hardship  was  the  fact  that 
we  ran  out  of  shoes.  From  the  middle  of  June  we  began  to  hunt  the  sea  cow.  These 
are  huge  beasts,  each  giving  from  50  to  60  poods  of  meat  and  even  a  greater  amount 
of  fat.      They  have  two  forefeet  and  1    .    .    ?  1 

Position   of    Bering   Island 

In  the  north  there  is  a  cape  NNW  8  German  miles.  From  this  cape  there  is  a  pro- 
jection NW  s  miles.  To  the  south  of  us  there  is  a  point  ESEKE  Ji  of  a  mile.  From 
this  point  the  shore  continues  south  4  miles.  From  that  point  the  shore  extends  NW 
to  the  northern  point. 

About  10  German  miles  away,  in  the  direction  NE  l)y  N  from  Bering's  Cross,  there 
is  an  island  which  is  not  seen  at  all  times.  [There  is  no  island  in  the  direction  indicated, 
and  what  Yushin  saw  was  probably  a  cloud  bank.  Chirikov  tells  of  sighting  land  on 
June  26-;!7,  which,  on  further  examination,  proved  to  be  a  cloud  bank). 

Another  island  is  seen  E'iN  6  German  miles,  a  third  island  E  by  S  7  German  miles. 
These  two  islands  extend  NE  and  SW;  they  seem  to  be  small  but  very  high.  (In 
the  direction  indicated  there  is  only  one  island.  Copper  Island,  which,  when  viewed 
from  Bering  Island,  looks  like  two  islands  and  is  so  noted  on  the  early  charts.) 

The  latitude  of  Bering's  Cross,  when  I  took  it  on  the  7th  day  of  July,  was  55°  05'  N, 
variation  of  the  compass  13°  58',  which  I  accepted  as  1%  rhumb  E, 


238  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

appeared,  which  grass  is  known  in  Kamchatka  as  sweet  grass  and  from  which  the 
government  there  manufactures  a  kind  of  wine.  It  tastes  something  hke  Russian 
borshch.^^^  We  used  this  grass  as  well  as  other  grasses  for  food.  We  had  no 
provisions  and  had  to  secure  our  food  with  great  trouble,  and  such  as  we  found  was 
bad  and  unfit  for  human  beings.  We  were  obliged  to  go  along  the  beach  20  and  30 
versts  in  the  hope  of  killing  a  sea  otter,  sea  lion,  or  hair  seal.  On  seeing  them  we 
would  steal  up  behind  them  as  they  were  on  the  beach  or  on  the  rocks,  when  the 
tide  was  out,  and  kill  them  with  clubs,  and  having  killed  them  we  tied  them  on  our- 
selves with  a  load  in  front  and  a  load  behind.  If  for  some  reason  we  could  not  hunt 
these  animals  we  were  forced  to  find  and  eat  dead  ones,  such  as  whales  and  sea  cows, 
which  had  been  cast  up  by  the  sea.  During  the  winter  we  hunted  the  animals  so 
hard  that  they  became  frightened,  and  by  spring  they  were  quite  a  distance  from 
our  camp.  Just  then  large  herds  of  fur  seals  came  to  breed  on  the  other  side  of  the 
island.  They  were  so  numerous  on  the  western  side  that  during  the  breeding  season 
two  or  three  men  could  barely  get  by  them  in  safety,  for  at  that  period  they  are 
quite  savage  and  attack  people.  Sometimes  the  men,  in  order  to  get  to  their  desti- 
nations, had  to  cross  over  the  mountain  ridges,  for  they  could  not  get  around  the 
beach  on  account  of  these  animals.  Their  flesh  was  quite  distasteful,  and  the  longer 
we  ate  it  the  less  we  liked  it.  We  then  turned  to  hunting  the  sea  cow  and  did  it  in 
the  following  manner.  This  animal  does  not  stay  far  out  at  sea  but  keeps  close  to 
shore.  Its  back  is  above  water,  and  with  the  flood  tide  it  moves  toward  the  shore 
to  feed  on  the  sea  cabbage.  As  the  tide  goes  out  the  sea  cow  goes  along  so  as  not  to 
get  stranded,  being  such  a  large  animal.  At  the  time  when  it  was  nearing  the  shore 
our  men  in  the  longboat  would  pull  up  close  to  it,  and  one  of  them,  standing  in  the 
bow,  hurled  at  it  a  large  iron  harpoon  with  sharp  teeth.  To  the  harpoon  was  made 
fast  a  cable  from  4  to  5  inches  in  thickness,  which  cable  was  held  by  20  men  who 
were  ashore.  When  the  harpoon  had  penetrated  the  flesh  and  held,  the  men  on 
shore  pulled  with  all  their  might  while  the  men  in  the  boat  went  up  close  to  the  ani- 
mal, cutting  and  stabbing  with  sharp  iron  weapons  in  order  to  weaken  it  and  prevent 
it  from  breaking  the  rope,  which  sometimes  happened.  This  cow  is  so  powerful  that 
it  took  all  these  men  to  hold  her.  Counting  meat  and  fat,  the  sea  cow  gives  about 
200  poods. '^2  From  the  time  on  when  we  began  hunting  the  sea  cow  we  were 
not  in  want.  Of  all  the  animals  mentioned  above  the  flesh  of  the  cow  is  the  best 
tasting.  We  brought  with  us  to  Kamchatka  a  considerable  quantity  of  it  salted. 
At  times  the  winds  on  the  island  are  so  strong  that  a  person  can  with  difficulty 
keep  on  his  feet.  We  concluded  that  these  winds  are  due  to  the  high  mountains 
and  deep  valleys.  I  may  say  that,  owing  to  these  winds,  the  snow  in  the  air,  and  the 
blizzards  blowing  off  the  mountains,  we  seldom  saw  a  beautiful  or  clear  day  from 
December  to  March.  From  March  on,  during  the  spring  and  summer,  there  are 
heavy  and  continuous  fogs  and  wet  weather  so  that  we  seldom  saw  a  pleasant  day 
during  this  period.  This  kind  of  weather  greatly  interfered  with  the  speed  of  our 
shipbuilding.  In  addition,  the  men  were  in  such  poor  condition  and  so  undisciplined 
that  it  was  not  safe  to  order  them  around,  but  everything  had  to  be  done  by  common 
consent.  On  this  island  there  are  no  minerals  or  metals,  for  Adjunct  Steller  was 
sent  purposely  around  the  island  without  finding  anything.  There  arc  no  land 
animals  on  the  island  aside  from  the  blue  foxes.  There  are  all  kinds  of  land  and 
sea  birds. 

"1  A  soup  usually  made  out  of  beet  root. 
132  7,200  lbs. 


LAUNCHING  OF  NEW  VESSEL  239 

August  8,  1742 
All  the  men  were  preparing  cables  for  launching  the  ship.    After  prayer 
we  named  the  newly  constructed  vessel  the  hooker  St.  Peter  and  began 
to  launch  her.    When  she  had  slid  down  the  ways  2  or  3  fathoms  the 
boards  of  the  platform  gave  way  and  she  stopped. 

August  Q,  1742  [civil  day] 

With  the  help  of  God  we  got  the  hooker  into  the  water  about  5  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon. 

The  Log  Book  of  the  Hooker  "St.  Peter" 

August  10,  1742  [astronomical  day]  "' 
With  God's  help  I  begin  this  journal  on  the  hooker  St.  Peter  under  the 
command  of  Lieutenant  Waxel.    I  take  as  departure  Bering's  Cross  which 
is  in  latitude  55°  05'  N,  variation  of  the  compass  iX  rhumb  easterly. 

133  From  this  date  until  August  23  inclusive,  Yushin's  journal  is  used.  Under  August 
10  entry  Khitrov's  journal  gives  in  addition:  "Size  of  the  hooker:  length,  36  feet;  beam, 
12  feet;  depth,  from  the  deck  to  the  keelson,  sH  feet." 


240      LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  HOOKER  "ST.  PETER" 

t^  August  10,  1742.     After  Midday 


u 
3 
0 

X 

1 
M 

■0 

c 

1 

3 
0 
0 

a 

I 

Strong  wind,  heavy  rain. 

2 



3 

Wind  going  down,  light  rain. 

4 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

S 

With  the  help  of  God  we  launched  the  new  ship  into 
the  water  and  moored  it  in  3  fathoms  with  two  an- 
chors, one  in  S  and  the  other  in  NE,  and  payed  out  14 
cable.  The  new  vessel  was  named  the  hooker  5/. 
Peter,  and  it  measured  36  feet  in  length,  11  feet  in 
beam,  s  feet  in  depth,  and  41  feet  from  stem  to 
sternpost. 

6 

7 

8 

9 

I  am  on  watch. 

10 

Wind  comes  in  puffs. 

II 

12 

Light  wind. 

I 

Cloudy,  stars  out. 

2 

3 

Chilly. 

4 

The  hooker  is  drawing  2  feet  10  inches  of  water,  and 
at  the  stem  3  feet. 

S 

6 

7 



8 

9 

Shears  were  brought  on  board  for  setting  the  masts. 

10 

Masts  and  gear  were  brought. 

H 

Rudder  was  put  in  place. 

12 

Fixed  the  shears  for  the  masts  and  made  ready  to 
set  them  in  place. 

PREPAR^ATIONS  FOR  SAILING 

^   August  II,  1742.     After  Midday 


241 


0 

X 

0 

e 

■0 

c 

0 

U 

n 

I 

Clear. 

2 

Took  the  shears  ashore. 

3 

4 



Since  noon  we  set  and  rigged  the  masts  and  yards. 

S 

6 

7 

Assistant  Constable  Roselius  relieves  me  on  watch 
duty. 

8 

9 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

10 



Stars  out. 

II 

Light  wind  and  unsteady. 

12 

I 

2 



s 

As  above. 

3 

4 

Cloudy. 

S 

6 

Sunshiny. 

7 

The  main  yard  was  brought  on  board  and  rigged. 

8 

9 

The  bowsprit  and  topsail  yard  were  brought  from 
shore,  the  bowsprit  was  shipped  in  place. 

10 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

II 

By  noon  we  had  stowed  away  10  barrels  of  water.  5 
barrels  salt  meat.  11  sacks  of  flour,  some  full  others 
only  partly  full. 

12 

242       LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  HOOKER  "ST.  PETER" 

"if  August  12,  1742.     After  Midday 


u 

3 
0 

tS 

•0 

e 

= 
0 
U 

>. 

a 

I 

SE 

Light  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

2 

Sails,  blocks,  and  other  naval  stores  were  taken  on 
board . 

3 

4 

s 

Tried  on  the  sails;  the  foresail  did  not  fit  and  was 
taken  back  for  alteration. 

6 

7 

Assistant  Constable  Roselius.  the  quartermaster 
Luka  Alexeiev.  and  I  are  on  watch. 

8 

9 

10 

Light  wind,  cloudy. 

II 

Moon  out. 

12 

Stars  shining. 

I 

E 

2 

NE 

Light  wind,  weather  as  before. 

3 

4 

Wind  changeable. 

S 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

6 

Naval  and  other  supplies  taken  on  board. 

7 

8 

9 

10 

Air  thick,  rain. 

II 

12 

The  crew  brought  its  baggage  on  board. 

DEPARTURE  FROM  BERING  ISLAND  243 

5    August  13,  1742.     After  Midday 


X 

0 

c 

■3 
C 

u 
3 
0 

t 

I 

— 

ENE 

Light  wind,  drizzly,  rainy. 

2 

3 

Bent  on  the  foresail  and  trysail. 

4 

— 

NE 

Put  up  a  cross  in  memory  of  Captain  Bering. 

s 

6 

The  crew  have  moved  on  board. 

7 

Brought  on  board  four  oars  for  the  hooker. 

8 

Topgallantsail  wind,  drizzly. 

9 

The  hooker  is  down  4'^   feet  at  the  stem  and  4M 
feet  at  the  bow. 

10 

NNE 

II 

' 

12 

I 

Clear  with  passing  clouds,  light  wind  and  light  sea; 
ran  out  the  anchor  on  the  left  side. 

2 

3 

4 

— 

N 

S 

6 

Warped  100  fathoms  to  the  north. 

7 

Took  up  the  anchor  and  warped. 

8 

Dropped  the  anchor  once  more. 

9 

Since  7:20  warped  three  times,  100  fathoms  each 
time. 

10 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy. 

II 



Clear  with  passing  clouds;  picked  up  the  anchor 
with  which  we  warped,  set  the  sails,  and  with  the 
help  of  God  headed  east  in  order  to  get  around  the 
island. 

12 

244      LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  HOOKER  "ST.  PETER" 

?)   August  14,  1742.     After  Midday 


0 

2 

0 
c 

C 

5 

u 

J 

I 

i« 

N/W 

EJ^iS 

Topgallantsail  wind,  drizzly,  clear  with  passing 
clouds;  carrying  mainsail,  foresail,  jib.  and  top- 
sail. 

2 

iK 

N/^ 

3 

2 

ESE 

Foggy;  the  southern  point  of  Bering  Island 
bears  S  by  EME.  Bering  Cross  WNW;',N. 

4 

2 

5 

I« 

NNE 

SE/E'^E 

Drizzly,  wind  as  before. 

6 

iM 

SE/E 

Took  the  ship's  boat  on  deck. 

7 

2 

SE/S 

8 

i>i 

SSE 

The  southern  point  of  Bering  Island  bears  SWJ^S 
about  2)/2  German  miles. 

9 

2M 

Light  wind. 

10 

IK 

Let  down  the  jib. 

II 

IM 

NE 

Sounded  in  25  fathoms,  no  bottom. 

12 

I'A 

S 

I 

IK 

3  inches  of  water  in  the  hold. 

2 

iK 

Hauled  down  the  foresail;  sounded  in  30  fathoms, 
no  bottom. 

3 

Ij-i 

iK 

SSW 

4 

S 

I'A 
I 

wsw 

6 

ENE 

Light  wind,  drizzly. 

7 

K 

Hoisted  foresail  and  jib. 

8 

M 

w/s 

At  times  calm. 

9 

J4 

We  cut  off  two  reefs  from  the  mainsail  because  it 
was  already  too  long.     It  was  left  with  one  reef. 

10 

% 

II 

% 

12 

■^ 

Clewed  up  mainsail  because  of  lack  of  wind; 
drizzly.  The  southern  point  of  the  island  bears 
NJiE  about  2  German  miles.  We  called  this 
point  Cape  Manati.  and  we  begin  our  reckon- 
ings from  it.  In  today's  reckoning  we  take  into 
account  the  bearings,  distance,  and  rhumbs  of 
the  13th.  According  to  our  observation  Cape 
Manati  is  in  latitude  54°  5o',  12  minutes  E  of 
Bering's  Cross.  At  noon  by  cross  bearing  it  is 
distant  s'  of  longitude  from  us. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I  J<  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Cape  Manati 

J2 

e 

3 

^0 

a-;  C 

n 

c 

■  bo 
it:  c 

i 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

£1 

3 

B 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

Sio''24'E 

22 

s 

21.8' 

E 
41 

7' 

S4°43' 

2 

N/E 
J*E 

0°%' 

HOMEWARD  FROM  BERING  ISLAND  245 

^  August  15.  1742.     After  Midday 


u 
3 
0 

*-> 
0 

c 

•a 
a 

3 
0 

a 

I 

iH 

s 

wsw 

Light  wind,  drizzly. 

2 

I 

s/w 

w/s 

I 'A 

Set  mainsail;  carry'ing.  in  addition  to  topsail, 
jib  and  foresail. 

3 

iM 

2 

I'A 

4 

sw/s 

WNW'AW 

/^ 

Topgallantsail  wind.  The  oflScers  agreed  that 
the  longboat  should  be  cut  adrift  because  it 
impeded  our  progress. 

5 

2 

ssw 

\\ 

Weather  as  before. 

6 

2 
2 

Let  out  a  reef  in  mainsail.  Cape  Manati  is 
NE  by  N'lE  about  4K  German  miles. 

7 

s/w 

w/s 

8 

2 

I'i 

9 

2. '-4 

I  '4 

Topsail  wind. 

10 

2 '4 

I  '2 

Drizzly. 

II 

2>5 

2  Ji 

I 'A 

The  hooker  has  sprung  a  leak,  and  we  are  bail- 
ing continuously. 

12 

I  !^ 

I 

2'i 

I|> 

Wind  freshening. 

2 

2 

"■ 

Bailing  out  of  the  hold  but  have  not  yet  found 
the  leak.  It  is  difficult  to  get  at  it.  We  threw 
overboard  some  of  our  ammunition.  By  3  in 
the  morning  we  got  the  leak  under  control. 

3 

'-'' 

ssw 

w 

4 

S 

s/w 

w/s 

i'A 

6 

■s.% 

7 

I  '•> 

iH 

8 

I '4 

i;i 

9 

I'i 

\A 

Tojjsail  wind. 

10 

I'A 

lA 

Reefed  the  mainsail. 

II 

iM 

Light  wind,  southerly  swell. 

12 

ssw   1        w 

Drizzly. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

I  'A  rhumb  E 

n  24  ■- 

-^urs 

From  Cape  Manati 

,3 

H 

-2 

ii 

d2 
c 

rv  0 

s 

^ 

"cl 

J3 

E 

3 

5 

c 

0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

NbS's-'W 

42 

N 
IS' 

w 

30 

67' 

S4°S8'i 

loA 

N79°o'W 

l''l2' 

246      LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  HOOKER  "ST.  PETER" 
^  August  i6,  1742.     After  Midday 


u 
3 
0 

X 

2 
§ 

X! 
B 

h4 

0 

I 

V* 

sw 

WNW 

2 

Light  wind,  drizzly,  wet;  carrying  mainsail,  fore- 
sail, jib.  and  topsail. 

2 

'A 

3 

% 

wsw 

NW 

4 

1 

i    M 
J 

•0 

.s 

0 

2 

Heavy  swell  from  south  at  the  rate  of  M  a  knot 
in  4  hours. 

5 

NNW 

1 

V 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

6 

7 

Foggy,  wet. 

8 

K 

wsw 

NW 

2 

Changeable  wind. 

9 

1 

1^ 

0 

) 

Swell  at  the  rate  of  M  knot  in  4  hours. 

10 

II 

Stars  out. 

12 

I 

M 

SSE 

WSW 

Light  wind,  drizzly. 

2 

M 

Fog,  wet.  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

3 

I 

4 

iM 

S 

iM 

Topsail  wind. 

6 

2'A 

Let  out  a  reef  in  mainsail  and  topsail. 

7 

2  A 

Topgallantsail  wind,  atmosphere  thick. 

8 

2% 

9 

2% 

SE/S 

SW/W 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

10 

2% 

II 

2 

Squally  clouds. 

12 

2M 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

\yi  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From 

Cape  Manati 

J3 

E 

3 

1^ 

c 

1^ 

c 

a  c 

""  «  ?! 

.2SS 

E 

3 

c 

0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

S83''24'W 

22 

S 

2.S' 

w 

21.6 

37' 

S4°S6' 

15^ 

N84°33'W 

1*49' 

HOMEWARD  FROM  BERING  ISLAND 

(^  August  17,  1742.     After  Midday 


247 


3 
0 

X 

1 

c 

■0 

s 

3 
0 
U 

a 

I 

2H 

S/E 

sw/w 

1 

i 

Topsail  wind,  drizzly,  rainy;  carrying  foresail, 
mainsail,  jib.  and  topsail. 

2 

2ij 

^ 

3 

S 

wsw 

4 

3 

s 

Topgallantsail  wind,  southerly  swell. 

6 

2 

7 

2 

SE   S 

Weather  as  before. 

8 

2  'i 

9 

3^4 

SSE 

sw/w 

Reef-topsail  wind,  foggy,  rainy. 

10 

3 

II 

2*4 

Lowered  topsail. 

12 

2  tj 
2  ',j 

I 

Reef-topsail  wind.  rain. 

2 

2'i 

3 

21. 

SE 

sw 

Undersail  wind. 

4 

3jj 

E 

Hauled  down  jib  and  foresail. 

5 

4*-4 

6 

4!  J 

ESE 

Reef-undersail  wind. 

7 

4'4 

Wind  in  gusts,  heavy  rain. 

8 

3 '4 

Fog. 

9 

3^4 

3 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

10 

SE/E 

ssw 

1 

I 

Thick  fog.  Sighted  high  snow-covered  land, 
N  by  W  and  WNW  about  3  German  miles  away. '3* 

II 

2I4 

Wind  going  down  a  bit.  weather  as  before. 

12 

2;-i 

Variation 

of 
Compass 
I  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

Fron 

Cape  Manati 

E 

3 

^•0 

C 

ti 

c 

« 

c  c 

5^^ 

E 

3 
x; 

B 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

S6s°23'W 

71 

S 
29.6' 

w 

64.6 

III' 

S4''27' 

32K 

S79°46'W 

3°40' 

"<  Khitrov's  journal:  "At  9:30  we  sighted,  through  the  mist,  land  in  the  W  from  which 
rose  a  high,  snow-covered  volcano,  which  we  identified  as  in  Kamchatka,  near  Cape 
Kronotski.    We  steered  away  from  the  land."    Cape  Kronotski  is  shown  on  PI.  I. 


248      LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  HOOKER  "ST.  PETER" 

^  August  i8,  1742.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

X 

0 
C 

•a 

c 

3 
0 

u 

.J 

I 

1'4 

E/S 

s 

Strong  undersail  wind.  rain,  sunshine. 

2 

2 

NE 

3 

2 

Wind  going  down;  set  topsail,  hoisted  jib. 

4 

iH 

Heavy  southerly  swell. 

5 

4 

W 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

6 

3M 

w  /s 

7 

I  Ji 

wsw 

SHE 

1 

1 
)  iK 

1 
1 

Topgallantsail  wind,  chilly. 

8 

I 

Sighted  a  high  volcano  W  by  N,  another  volcano 
W  by  S.  Some  distance  farther  to  the  north 
a  point  N  ME  5  miles. 

9 

2K 

sw/w 

S/E 

Topsail  wind. 

10 

2M 

1 
1 

1  ^ 

1 

Lowered  topsail. 

II 

3 

Undersail  wind,  stars  out. 

12 

2K 

sw 

SSE 

I 

4 

Heavy  clouds,  squalls;  tacked  to  port. 

2 

2 

w 

NNW 

3 

IJ4 

1 

I 

1 
1 

J 

4 

Stars  out,  chilly. 

S 

I'A 

w/s 

NW/N 

6 

I'A 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

7 

iJ< 

Sunshiny. 

8 

Light  wind. 

9 

iM 

Set  topsail  reefed. 

10 

2 

Topsail  wind. 

II 

wsw 

NW 

1 

1 

)  I 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

12 

2>< 

Took  observation:  zenith  distance  44°  40',  dec- 
lination of  the  sun  9°  34'.  latitude  54°  14'.  High 
volcano  sighted  is  W  by  N.  the  point  north  of 
it  is  N  4  German  miles. 

Variation 

of 
Compass 
I  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From 

Cape  Manati 

.a 
S 
3 

.J  0 

c 

c 

H-l 

c  c 

E 

3 

c 
0 
►J 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

13.5 

135 

s 
13.6' 

W 
9.3 

18' 

.'!4°I3' 

33!i 

W/S 
4°5S'S 

3°4o' 

135  Khitrov's  journal:  Rhumb,  SW/S  0°  Si'  S[i.e.  S  32°  54'  W);  Dist.  in  Knots,  20. 


HOMEWARD  FROM  BERING  ISLAND 

If  August  10,  1742.     After  Midday 


249 


3 
0 

0 

c 

c 

2 

3 
0 

u 

I 

2'  3 

WSW 

NW 

1 

1 

I 

Topsail  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds;  carry- 
ing all  sails;  topsail  and   mainsail  are  reefed. 

2 

2M 

Southerly  swell. 

3 

2y, 

4 

1^4 

Topgallantsail  wind,  cloudy. 

S 

1% 

6 

I'A 

SAV 

SE/E 

Came  within  ii  mile  of  shore,  tacked  to  star- 
board. 

7 

2'A 

SE/E>iE 

1 
1 

1  I 

J 

8 

2H 

Topsail  wind. 

9 

4 

SE/E 

Strong    reef-topsail   wind;    lowered    topsail. 

10 

3!j' 

II 

3 

S 

ESE 

1 

1 

Undersail  wind,  heavy  rain. 

12 

2, '4 

S/E 

E   S 

I 

2  '3 

Reef-topsail   wind,    drizzly,    rainy,   chilly. 

2 

2 

S 

ESE 

3 

2 

Hauled  down  the  jib. 

4 

1^4' 

ssw 

SE 

Topsail  wind. 

S 

I 

6 

iM 

w/s 

NW/N 

Tacked  to  port. 

7 

>i 

sw 

SSE 

M 

Tacked  to  starboard. 

8 

M 

Set  topsail  and  jib. 

9 

I 

WSW 

S 

i  2 

Topgallantsail  wind,   clear  with  passing  clouds. 

10 

»< 

II 

1 

1 

^1 

Weather  as  before,  heavy  southerly  swell  at 
the  rate  of    'i  knot  per  hour  during  2  hours. 

12 

N 

The  northern  point  bears  NW>iN  i  German 
mile. 

Variation 

of 
Compass 
I  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Cape   Manati 

1 

5 

a 

a^ 

c 

c  c 

—  B  2 

S 

3 

c 

0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

S8i°44'E 

23.7 

S 
3.4' 

E 
23-4 

30.8' 

54°io' 

28 

WSW 
i°33'W 

3°o' 

250      LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  HOOKER  "ST.  PETER" 

2  August  20,  1742.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

s 

s 

0 

e 

3 
0 

>. 

[2 
1 

I 

•A 

sw/w 

S/EME 

Light  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds. 

2 

•A 

3 

Calm 

Warm,  clewed  dp  mainsail. 

4 

•A 

WSW 

S 

S 

1 
I 

•a 
c 

0 
Z 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

6 

SSE 

1 

1 

1 

Heavy  southwesterly  swell,  at  the  rate  of  i  knot 
per  hour  during  4  hours  in  SSE  direction.  The  high 
volcano  bears  WNW  about  12  miles,  the  point 
north  of  it  NW  by  W  8  German  miles. 

7 

8 

9 

•A 

sw/s 

SE 

;  2 

Light  wind,  stars  out,  chilly. 

10 

'A 

II 

sw 

SE  ,  S 

1 

1 
1 

}  I'A 

1 

Topgallantsail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

12 

I  "i 

I 

SSE^^^E 

As  before. 

2 

3 

I  .'4 

Clouding  up. 

4 

I  "4 

5 

I'^ 

WSW 

SME 

6 

w/s 

s/wy^w 

1 

Light  wind. 

7 

>^ 

1 

0 

z 

8 

K 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

9 

■< 

SSE 

1 

3 

1 
1 

Southwestern  swell  at  the  rate  of  i  knot  in  4  hours. 

10 

II 

K 

12 

Took  observation:  zenith  distance  45°  10', 
declination  of  the  sun  8°  51'.  latitude  54     i'. 

Variation 

of 
Compass 
I  rhumb  E 

I 

n  24  hours 

From 

Cape  Manati 

SI 

E 
s 

^0 

91    C 

c 

ii 

-:  0 
c 

Lat. 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

J2 

e 

3 

c 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

S29°io'E 

14.7 

s 
12.9' 

E 

7.2 

12' 

S3''S7'i     27K 

sw  /w 

5°i8'W 

2°48' 

HOMEWARD  FROM  BERING  ISLAND 

b   August  21,  1742.     After  Midday 


251 


i 

X 

£ 

•0 

d 

1 

3 
0 

u 

>> 

1 

I 

1 

T3 

C 

"i 
0 
Z 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

2 

3 

Southerly  swell. 

4 

Filled  four  empty  barrels  with  salt  water  and  put 
them  in  the  hold  because  the  ship  was  becoming 
light. 

5 

E 

4 

6 

7 

8 

9 

'A 

sw/s 

W/N 

1 

i     A 

From  noon  until  9  o'clock  we  allowed   i  'A    knots 
for  the  swell,  which  pushed  us  to  the  east.     Light 
wind  and  unsteady,  clear;  set  mainsail. 

10 

H 

II 

I 

12 

I  '■• 

Topgallantsail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

I 

I  '4 

2 

I  '4 

3 

y. 

Light  wind. 

4 

'A 

Chilly. 

S 

K 

s 

WSWJ^W 

1 

6 

>i 

7 

I 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

8 

K 

9 

Calm 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

10 

■-i 

s/w 

w/s 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

II 

I  J'4 

12 

I   '-3 

Chilly;  point  in  the  N  bears  NW  7  miles. 

Variation 

of 
Compass 
fi  rhumb  E 

I 

a  24  hours 

From 

Cape  Manati 

B 

a 

a. 

.JO 

c 

IS 

11 

Dist.   in 

(ierman 

Miles 

1 

0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

N69°09'W 

II 

N 
4' 

W 

10. S 

17.6' 

.S4°Ol' 

20'^ 

wsw 

I°S8'S 

i'os' 

252       LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  HOOKER  "ST.  PETER" 

\v)  August  22,  1742.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

0 
e 

•0 
c 

3 
0 
U 

I 

13^ 

S 

wsw 

Topgallantsail  wind,  drizzly;  carrying  the  foresails. 

2 

I 

3 

Vt 

4 

Calm 

Light  rain. 

5 

iM 

E 

sw 

Light  wind,  weather  as  before. 

6 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

7 

2'^ 

Reefed  topsail,  lowered  jib  and  foresai'.. 

8 

3 

sw/s 

9 

4M 
4 

Topsail  wind,  drizzly,  heavy  rain. 

lo 

II 

S 

Undersail  wind;    lowered  topsail. 

12 

43-4' 

Squally. 

I 

4 

NNE 

SSW  '  J  w 

2 

4M 

Reef-undersail  wind,  chilly,  heavy  rain. 

3 

4M 

Took  a  reef  in  mainsail. 

4 

4K 

Gale,  rain. 

5 

4K 

wsw 

6 

3K 

Wind  going  down,  air  thick,  clear  with  passing 
clouds. 

7 

3>^ 

Let  out  reef  in  mainsail. 

8 

2  J.4 
2, '4 
3 

Topsail  wind,  northeasterly  swell,  light  rain. 

9 

N/E 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

10 

Set  topsail. 

II 

12 

'A 

Light  wind,  sunshine,  air  clear.  Took  observation: 
zenith  distance  45°  0',  declination  of  the  sun 
8°  08',  latitude  53^  08'. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

i-i    rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Cape  Manati 

e 

3 

^1 

C 

4J 

Dist.  in 
German 

Miles 

E 

3 

bo 
C 
0 
►J 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

S53°39'W 

66 

s 

39-8' 

W 
52.9 

89' 

53°2l' 

4°36' 

By 

Observation 

S38''46'W 

66 

S 
.S3' 

W 

41-3 

71.7' 

S3°o8' 

4.';'-i 

S5,S''S9'W 

4°I7' 

HOMEWARD  FROM  BERING  ISLAND  253 

(^  August  23,  1742.     After  Midday 


0 
X 

0 
c 

•3 
C 

3 
0 
U 

I 

1     y- 

NE/E 

SW 

Light  wind,  clear  with  pa'^sing  clouds. 

2 

■0 

a 

■5 
0 
2 

3 

1     ^ 

Heavy  northeasterly  swell. 

4 

Clewed  up  mainsail. 

5 

Allowed  for  the  swell    'i  knot  in  3  hours. 

6 

Vi 

sw 

SSE 

I 

Light  wind,  clear  with  passing  clouds.  The  high 
volcano  mentioned  before  bears  now  NNW,  the 
point  of  land  SW  3  '  1  German  miles.  We  take  it  to 
be  Shipunski  Cape.  From  this  cape  the  land  is 
low  and  level,  bearing  SW  by  VV  3  miles. 

7 

U 

Lowered  topsail,  hoisted  jib. 

8 

I  ,'j 

Topgallantsail  wind,  stars  out. 

9 

2 '4 

Chilly. 

10 

2M 

Topsail  wind,  weather  as  before. 

11 

2M 

12 

2 

At  the  end  of  the  hour  tacked  to  port. 

I 

2  '3 

WNW 

1 

) 

2 

2  '4 

3 

1^4 

Topgallantsail  wind,  stars  out. 

4 

I'i 

Set  topsail. 

5 

I  -'4 

Light  wind. 

6 

I'j 

sw  s 

W/N 

Sun  shining. 

7 

8 

Calm 

Cloudy. 

9 

}         ^ 

SW 

WNW 

Ver>'  light  wind  and  unsteady. 

10 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

II 

1 

12 

From  nine  o'clock  until  noon  we  worked  with  the 
oars  and  advanced  at  the  rate  of  U  of  a  knot  per 
hour.  The  cape  or  point  bears  W'aS  la  German 
mile.  Vilyuchensk  Volcano  WSW,  the  cape  to  the 
south  NW  4  German  miles.  It  is  quite  evident  that 
this  is  Kamchatka  and  that  the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter 
and         Paul  is  about  12  German  miles  to  the  west. 

I 

n  24  hours 

From 

Cape  Manati 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

'4    rhumb  E 

B 

3 

X  C 
c 

pi 

n 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

J2 
B 

3 

B 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 

SS9°2I'W 

6.2 

S 

3.2' 

W 

5-4 

9' 

S3°os' 

46K 

S  s6°08'W 

4°26' 

254      LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  HOOKER  "ST.  PETER" 
(J  August  24,  1742.    After  Midday^^^ 


i 

0 

•a 

a 

3 
0 

% 

I 

?,\NiyN 

NW/W 

I 

Light  wind;  carrying  all  sails. 

2 

K 

I 

3 

K 

I 

4 

% 

Calm 

SW 

Rowed . 

S 

'A 

Rowed. 

6 

K 

SW 

SSE 

I 

Light  wi  nd;  let  out  mainsail  and  foresail.  Shipun- 
ski  Cape  W  by  S>^S,  from  it  a  projection  WSW  2 
miles.      Clewed  up  mainsail,  lowered   topsail. 

7 

iM 

NNW 

SW/S 

8 

Calm 

9 

10 

M 

wsw 

S 

I 

Set  mainsail. 

II 

I 

I 

12 

% 

I 

I 

Va 

I 

2 

1% 

w 

ssw 

% 

Hoisted  topsail. 

3 

I'A 

M 

4 

K 

% 

S 

I 

W/N 

SW/S 

Vt 

6 

I 

y- 

Sunshine. 

7 

a 

Va 

8 

% 

H 

9 

Calm 

Clewed  up  mainsail. 

10 

Sunshine,  pleasant  weather. 

II 

12 

Shipunski  Cape  NWMW  3  miles  distant.  Burning 
Volcano  W  by  NMN. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

J<   rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Cape  Manati 

S 

3 

S15 

c 

i 

.5  "^ 

5^^ 

,0 
E 

3 

c 

3 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 
(Khitrov) 

SW/S 
6°si'W 

9.2 

S 

7' 

W 
6 

10' 

S3°I3' 

SoM 

SW/W 
S°io'W 

S°03' 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 
(Vushin) 

S  24°24'W 

12 

S 
10.8' 

W 
4.9 

8' 

S2°S4' 

? 

? 

l4°34'J 

136  Khitrov's  journal  is  used  from  now  on  to  the  end  because  Yushin's  is  in  part  illegible. 
Vushin"s  24-hour  summaries  are  retained,  however,  because  they  are  based  on  the 
observed  position  of  August  22,  while  Khitrov's  seem  based  on  that  day's  position  by 
dead  reckoning. 


HOMEWARD  FROM  BERING  ISLAND  255 

^  August  25,  1742.     After  Midday 


0 

e 

•0 

c 

1 

3 
0 
0 

I 

Calm 

Clear,  sunshiny. 

2 

3 

;« 

S/W 

w/s 

Set  mainsail,  hoisted  topsail,  light  wind. 

4 

'4 

s 

S   E 

wsw 

1 

1 
1 

1 
1 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

6 

I  ■  J 

7 

i'^* 

SW/WMW 

8 

'  •* 

Shipunski  Cape  N  ^  miles.  Burning  Volcano   NW 
by  WKW,  Vilyuchensk  Volcano  WSWMW. 

9 

H4 

S 

wsw 

10 

I  s 

S/W 

w  s 

I  I 

Calm 

12 

I 

•0 

0 

Stars  shining. 

2 

3 

4 

s 

Rowing. 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

II 

Air  clear,   calm,   making  use  of  the  oars. 

12 

Isopa  Point  SSWJ<W,  Burning  Volcano  NW^iW. 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

Ji    rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

1        From  Cape  Manati 

E 

3 

c 

i^ 

C.2 
c 

Q.2 

Dist.   in 

German 

Miles 

S 

3 

5 

e 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 
(Khitrovj 

W/S 
5°33'W 

20. s 

S 
2' 

W 

20 

34' 

S3°II' 

1 

sw/w 

7°ii'W 

S°37' 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 
(Yushin~, 

? 

20, s 

S 
2' 

w 

20 

33' 

S2''S2' 

54 

ssa'ss'w 

S°07' 

256      LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  HOOKER  "ST.  PETER" 

If    August  26,  1742.     After  Midday 


3 
0 

a 

0 
S 

T3 

a 

13 
0 

>> 

I 

s 

w/s 

Clear,  sunshiny;  using  the  oars;  occasional  puffs  of 
wind  from  S;   carrying  the  topsail,  foresail,  and  jib. 

2 

iK 

3 

ij^ 

4 

2M 

S/E 

Stopped  rowing. 

5 

2K 

W/SJ^S 

6 

2'A 

Topgallantsail  wind.  Shipunski  Cape  NE  by  E  8 
miles,  Vaua  WMS  3M  miles. 

7 

2% 

8 

2 

S 

wsw 

9 

IK 

10 

iM 

E 

II 

I  '3 

w 

12 

iK 

W  'N 

I 

2 

NNE 

NW 

Using  both  sails  and  oars. 

2 

I 

NE/N 

NW/N 

Came  opposite  lighthouse,  which  was  N'iE; 
anchored,  because  of  head  wind  and  strong  head 
tide,  in  23  fathoms.                                    « 

3 

NW/N 

4 

~K 

5 

N/W 

Weighed  anchor  and  rowed  into  the  mouth  of  Avacha 
Bay. 

6 

K 

M 

7 

8 

"'' 

Owing  to  strong  head  tide  we  anchored  in  10  fathoms. 
Kamchadals  in  baidars  came  to  us  and  said  that 
Captain  Chirikov  had  gore  to  Okhotsk  this  summer. 

9 

10 

II 

SSE 

Weighed  anchor  and  by  means  of  the  oars  and  sails 
went  into  the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St,  Paul. 

12 

Variation 

of 

Compass 

%  rhumb  E 

In  24  hours 

From  Cape  Manati 

a 

3 

it 

15 

tog 

5^ 

rt 

s  a 

.0 

s 

3 

a: 

C 
0 

By  Dead 
Reckoning 
(Khitrov) 

W3°oi'S 

2S.2 

S 
0.8' 

W 

25 

42' 

53°I0' 

to% 

SW/W 
9°2o' 

137 
6°I9' 

By  Dead 

Reckoning 

(V'ushin) 

W2°l8'S 

25.2 

s 
l' 

W 

25 

41' 

52°5l' 

59  K 

SS9°54'W 

15°48'1 

137  Even  with  the  fresh  start  in  reckoning  trom  Bering  Island,  this  value  is  shcrt  about 
iJi"  of  the  true  longitude  difference  between  Cape  Manati  and  Petropavlovsk.  See 
footnote  124,  above. 


ARRIVAL  AT  PETROPAVLOVSK 

$  August  27,  1742.     After  Midday 


257 


3 
0 

E 

i 

c 

3 
0 

u 

I 

SSE 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

2 

$ 

Came  to  the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul,  took 
in  the  sails,  dropped  anchor  in  9  fathoms,  payed  out 
a  little  rope. 

3 

4 

S 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

II 

\2 

I 

2 

i 

4 

5 

6 

— 

7 

8 

Lieutenant  Waxel,  Khitrov,  and  the  crew  went 
ashore. 

9 

10 

Started  to  transfer  the  baggage  from  the  ship  to  the 
barracks. 

II 

12 

Light  wind. 

258 


LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  HOOKER  "ST.  PETER" 

]')  August  28,  1742.     After  Midday 


3 

0 

1 
^ 

•0 
C 

2 
3 
0 

>, 

n 

I 

SE 

Light  wind,  at  times  calm.     This  day  we  took  out 
all   the  ammunition,  iron,  provisions,  etc.     We  in- 
spected  the  ship   because  on  the  way  over  it   had 
sprung  a  leak.     We  discovered  that  the  bottom  was 
poorly  calked  and  had  many  cracks.     We  hauled  it 
near  shore  and  calked  the  right  side  and  filled  the 
cracks  with  pitch. 

2 



3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 



1 1 

12 

I 

2 

3 



4 

S 

6 

7 

8 

9 

— 

10 

J  I 

12 

ARRIVAL  AT  PETROPAVLOVSK 

^  August  20,  1742.     After  Midday 


259 


s 

0 

0 

e 

T3 
C 

2 

a 
0 

I 

SE 

Calm  at   times,  calked  and  repaired   vessel  on  the 
other  side,  and  having  patched  it  up  we  anchored  it 
farther  from  shore  in  8  feet  of  water. 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

II 

12 

I 

2 



N 

Moderate  breeze  and  in  gusts. 

3 

4 



5 

6 

7 

8 



9 

10 

II 

12 

1  Clear,  sunshiny. 

26o      LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  HOOKER  "ST.  PETER" 

*  (2  August  30,  1742.     After  Midday 


3 

0 

0 

c 

•a 
c 

5 

\-, 

0 

U 

>, 

a 

I 

s 

Light  wind,  sunshiny.    Stowed  18  water  casks  in  the 
hold  and    M   fathom  of  wood;     added  to  our  meat 
stores  s  barrels  of  fish,  i  tub  of  butter,  and  12  poods 
of  groats. 

2 

3 

4 

— 

5 

6 

— 

7 

8 

9 

10 

II 

— 

12 

I 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

II 

12 

ARRIVAL  AT  PETROPAVLOVSK 

^  August  31,  1742.     After  Midday 


261 


u 
3 
0 

0 

c 

c 

5 

a 

0 

0 

I 

I 

NE 

Light  wind,  clear.    Took  on  naval  stores  and  personal 
baggage. 

2 

— 

3 

4 

— 

S 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

II 

12 

I 

2 

1 

3 

4 

S 

— 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

II 

12 

262      LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  HOOKER  "ST.  PETER" 

^  September  i,  1742.     After  Midday 


X 

0 

c 

2 

0 
V 

1 

I 

SE 

Light  wind  and  unsteady.  Fastened  on  the  shrouds 
and  stays.  Took  on  board  two  barrels  of  water  in 
which  cedar  had  been  boiled  for  the  use  of  the 
crew  in  case  of  scurvy. 138 

2 

3 

4 

S 

6 

7 



8 

9 

10 



II 

12 

I 

2 

3 

4 

S 

6 

7 

8 

9 



Took  aboard  about  12  poods  of  iron. 

10 

NE 

Lieutenant  Waxel.  Khitrov,  and  the  crew  have 
moved  to  the  ship. 

II 



Heaved  the  hawsers,  weighed  anchor,  and  went  in 
tow  of  the  yawl  and  boat  until  out  of  the  harbor, 
and  then  made  use  of  the  sail  and  oars. 

12 

Little  breeze,  light  rain.- 

138  The  cedar  in  question  is,  according  to  Dr.  Stejneger,  the  Pinus  cembra,  the  pros- 
trate nut  pine.  Krasheninnikov  (History  of  Kamchatka,  Russian  edit.,  St.  Petersburg, 
I7S5.  Vol.  2,  pp.  192-193)  says:  "This  tree  dilTers  from  the  regular  cedar  in  that  it  is 
smaller  and  does  not  grow  straight  but  creeps  along  the  ground,  and  for  that  reason  it  is 
called  slanets.    It  is  a  valuable  remedy  for  scurvy." 

Cook  refers  to  it:  "One  of  these  (cedars)  grows  upon  the  coast.  .  .  It  was  of  this 
sort  we  made  our  essence  for  beer,  and  found  it  excellent  for  the  purpose.  .  .  We  were 
told  by  the  old  Toion  [chief)  at  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  that  Beering,  during  the  time  he  lay 
in  that  harbour,  first  taught  them  the  use  of  the  decoction  of  these  pines  and  that  it  had 
proved  a  most  excellent  remedy  for  the  scurvy."  (James  Cook:  A  Voyage  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  London,  1784,  Vol.  3,  pp.  332-333.) 


ATTEMPT  TO  REACH  OKHOTSK 

'2^  September  2,  1742.     After  Midday 


263 


3 

0 

X 

2 

•a 
e 

3 

u 

>> 

I 

NE 

Unsteady  wind,  gloomy,  rainy;  depth  6,7,8,10 
fathoms. 

2 

At  times  calm;  for  that  reason  it  was  dangerous  to 
go  out  to  sea,  and  we  therefore  anchored  n  10 
fathoms  and  paid  out  25  fathoms  of  cable. 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

ESE 

Lighthouse  SEME,  stone  projection  SE'iS. 

9 



10 

II 

12 

Calm,   clear   with   passing  clouds,   chilly. 

I 

2 

3 

4 

W 

Light  breeze;  weighed  anchor,  hoisted  sails,  and 
went  S  from  the  mouth  of  Avacha  Bay. 

5 

N 

6 

NNW 

Light  breeze;  carrying  mainsail,  foresail,  and  top- 
sail. 

7 

8 



9 

10 

SE/S 

Clewed  up  mainsail  and  steered  E  in  order  to  get 
clear  of  the  Kamchatka  coast.     Opened  mainsail. 

II 

12 

Lighthouse  N  by  W,  Isopa  Point  SMW. 

264      LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  HOOKER  "ST.  PETER" 

5  September  3,  1742.     After  Midday 


u 
3 
0 
X 

0 

a 

T3 
C 

3 
0 

0 

I 

S 

ESE 

Light  wind,  clear. 

2 

Light  breeze. 

3 

4 



s/w 

SE/EKE 

Vaua  NWHW  3  miles,  Isopa  SSW,  Shipunski 
Cape  NEKN. 

5 

s 

ESE 

6 

s/w 

SE/E 

Wind  freshening,  chilly;  took  a  reef  in  topsail. 

7 

8 

Topgallantsail  breeze;  came  about  with  the  wind 
and  sailed  W. 

9 

ssw 

W 

10 

II 



12 

Very  little  wind. 

I 

2 

Tacked  to  starboard. 

3 

Calm 

4 

Clewed  up  mainsail. 

5 

6 

S/W 

SE/E 

Hoisted  mainsail;  rain  falling. 

7 

SE  ■  4  E 

Topgallantsail  wind. 

8 

Lowered  topsail. 

9 



W/N 

Lieutenant  Waxel  and  Navigator  Yushin  agreed  to 
return  to  Avacha,  because  the  wind  was  contrary 
and  no  headway  was  being  made  by  tacking  and 
because  the  vessel  was  leaking  badly. 

10 

WNW 

II 

Sailed  into  Avacha  Bay. 

12 

NW'iW 

Vaua  lighthouse  NW  by  N  i  J^  German  mile. 

ATTEMPT  TO  REACH  OKHOTSK 

Tt   September  4,  1742.     After  Midday 


26: 


3 
0 

X 

0 

C 

T5 
C 

3 
0 

I 

s  /\v 

Little  breeze,  sunshiny. 

2 

3 

Entered  mouth  of  Avacha  Bay  and  anchored  in 
8'i  fathoms. 

4 

Vaua     Point     ESE,     Vilyuchensk     Island     S    by 

VV',W.139 

S 

vv 

6 

WNW 

7 

8 

W 

Gale  blowing;  dropped  another  anchor  and  payed 
out    'i  cable. 

9 

W/N 

10 

II 

12 

Storm. 

I 

2 

Wind  going  down  a  little. 

3 

4 

S 

6 

Light  wind;    weighed  one  anchor. 

7 

Had  a  consultation  in  regard  to  the  condition  of 
our  ship,  which  was  leaking  badly.  An  accurate 
copy  of  the  results  of  our  deliberation  is  given 
below. 

8 

9 

10 

Weighed  anchor  and  began  to  tack  towards  the 
Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul. 

II 

12 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

139  "Vilyuchensk"  Island  has  disappeared  from  the  maps.  It  is  probably  the  same  as 
"Starichkov"  Island  of  later  maps.  Steller  ("Beschreibung  von  dem  Lande  Kamtschatka," 
p.  18)  refers  to  it:  "Diesem  Haven  |.\vacha|  zur  Rechten  ist  eine  kleine  steinerne  Insel 
.  .  .     Diese  wird  Wiliutschisky  ostrow  genennet." 


266      LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  HOOKER  "ST.  PETER" 

September  4,  1742 
Decision  Reached  at  the  Consultation  on  September  4,  1742 

Lieutenant  Waxel,  Fleet  Master  Khitrov,  and  all  the  lower  officers  on  board  on 
the  voyage  from  Avacha  to  Okhotsk  came  to  the  following  decision: 

1.  We  tried  to  repair  the  hooker  5/.  Peter  so  that  it  would  not  leak  as  much  as  it 
had  on  the  way  from  Bering  Island  to  Avacha,  and  when  we  were  at  Avacha  we  had 
hoped  that  this  had  been  done. 

2.  On  September  i,  after  we  had  [made  out  a  report?]  of  the  activities  of  our  com- 
pany, based  on  the  original  journal  and  chart,  we  were  ready  to  go  on  our  way.  We 
went  as  far  as  eight  miles  from  the  bay  but  could  not  make  much  headway  owing 
to  the  strong  head  wind  which  prevented  us  from  sailing  on  our  course,  which  was 
south  and  between  south  and  west.  At  the  same  time  our  ship  sprung  a  leak  as 
before,  forcing  us  to  bail  all  the  time  and  in  the  end  to  turn  back  to  the  aforemen- 
tioned bay. 

3.  We  knew,  from  former  experiences,  that  after  the  middle  of  this  month  the 
strong  north  winds  would  begin  to  blow  and  that  our  vessel  could  not  weather  them 
and  could  never  make  Okhotsk  in  time  [to  escape  them?].  We  had  time  to  go  as  far 
as  the  mouth  of  the  Bolshaya  River  and  might  have  done  so,  but  we  knew  that  at 
the  Bolsheretsk  Post  there  were  not  provisions  enough  foro  ur  men.  Having 
taken  all  these  reasons  into  consideration  we  decided  to  return  to  Avacha  Bay. 

Lieutenant  Sven  Waxel 

Master  .Sofron  Khitrov 

Assistant  Navigator  Kharlam  Yushin 

For  the  Boatswain  Alexei  Ivanov 

Boatswain's  mate  Grigori  Trubeshin 

Midshipman  Ivan  Sint 


FINAL  RETURN  TO  PETROPA\'LOVSK  267 

(v)  September  5,  IT42.     After  Midday 


u 

•3 
0 

X 

0 
c 

1 

2 

3 
0 
U 

n 

I 

WNW 

Reef-topsail  wind,  cloudy;  tacked  in  succession 
into  the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St  .Paul. 

2 

3 

4 

W/N 

Failed  to  make  the  harbor  and  anchored  in  7 
fathoms. 

5 

6 

7 

Dropped  another  anchor. 

8 

9 

10 

II 

12 

W 

I 

N 

2 

W 

3 

4 

Sent  ashore  to  get  a  yawl  and  another  boat  to 
tow  us  in. 

5 

NW/W 

6 

7 

\V   N 

8 

9 

10 

II 

W 

Weighed  ai     lor  and  tacked  into  the  harbor. 

12 

Fresh  breeze,  sunshine. 

268      LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  HOOKER  "ST.  PETER" 
^  September  6,  1742.     After  Midday 


u 
S 
0 

0 

c 

1 

2 
3 
0 

>1 

CO 

1 

I 

W 

Topsail  wind. 

2 

3 

4 

By  tacking,  towing,  and  rowing  got  into  the 
harbor. 

S 

6 

7 

— 

8 

We  safely  brought  the  St.  Peter  in  front  of  the 
warehouse. 

9 

10 

— 

11 

12 

$ 

Dropped  the  anchors  and  made  fast  to  shore 
with  lines. 

I 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

NE 

7 

8 

Crew  took  its  baggage  ashore. 

9 

— 

10 

II 

12 

Lieutenant  Waxel  and  I  went  to  our  quarters 
[on  shore]. 

FINAL  RETURN  TO  PETROPAVLOVSK 

S  September  7.  /-•;-'•     After  Midday  '" 


269 


3 
0 

X 

0 

c 

-3 

c 

0 

is 

^1 

I 

Light  air. 

2 

— 

Clear;  discharging  the  ship  and  taking  the  cargo 
ashore. 

3 

4 

— 

Since  noon  we  have  been   unrigging  the  hooker. 

5 

6 

7 

8 

Fair  weather. 

9 

10 

Moon  and  stars  out. 

II 

I.? 

Very  light  air,  weather  as  before. 

I 

— 

2 

3 

4 

— 

Cloudy. 

5 

6 

Clear. 

7 

— 

Sky  overcast. 

8 

9 

Since  8:30  it  has  been  raining  lightly. 

10 

— 

Clear  with  passing  clouds. 

II 

12 

Took  out  the  water  barrels  and  the  wood  from 
thf  hooker,  and  it  is  now  empty. 

iw  Yushin's  journal. 


CHAPTER  VI 

LIEUTENANT  WAXEL'S  REPORT  ON  THE 
VOYAGE  OF  THE  ST.  PETER 

Although  the  log  book  of  the  St.  Peter  gives  an  intimate,  day- 
by-day  insight  into  the  happenings  of  the  voyage,  and  is  there- 
fore a  valuable  historical  document,  its  stereotyped  form  and 
routine  information  often  obscure  the  human  interest  of  the 
story.  This  element  is  supplied  by  the  simple  and  straightforward 
narrative  of  Lieutenant  Sven  Waxel's  report,  which  he,  as  officer 
in  command  after  Bering's  death,  forw-arded  to  the  Admiralty 
College  from  Petropavlovsk  by  special  messenger  in  November, 
1742.  A  translation  from  the  original^  in  the  Russian  archives 
follows. 

To  THE  Imperial  Admiralty  College,  a  Most 
Humble  Report 

Last  May,  1741,  the  late  Captain  Commander  Bering  called  a  council, 
in  which  participated  Captain  Chirikov,  Professor  de  la  Croyere,  the 
officers,  and  navigators,  to  decide  on  the  first  course  to  sail  after  leaving 
the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  [Petropavlovsk]  in  order  to  discover 
the  Terra  Juan  de  Gama  which  is  marked  on  the  map  of  the  above- 
named  Professor  de  la  Croyere  and  which  extends  northerly  to  the  47th 
parallel.  It  was  agreed  to  steer,  after  going  out  of  Avacha  Bay,  SE  by 
E,  true  compass,  to  the  46th  degree  in  order  to  see  whether  there  is  any 
land  on  that  parallel  and  if  such  be  discovered  to  coast  alongside  of  it 
between  north  and  east  or  north  and  west,  depending  on  the  lay  of  the 
land.  If,  however,  no  land  is  seen  on  that  parallel,  it  was  concluded 
to  sail  from  there  on  an  E  by  N  course  until  land  is  found,  and  when 
found  to  follow  it  in  a  northerly  direction  for  the  purpose  of  observation 
as  long  as  time  will  permit  so  as  to  return  during  the  last  days  of  Septem- 

•  Archives  of  the  Ministry  of  Marine,  Pctrograd:  Papers  of  the  Admiralty 
College,  1 742-1 746,  No.  2,  pp.  233  ff.  On  the  top  of  the  first  page  is  written  "Re- 
ceived September  4.  1743.  from  the  hands  of  Boatswain  Alexei  Ivanov,  who  was 
sent  here  for  that  purpose."  The  report  was  passed  on  to  the  Senate  two  days  later, 
and  to  the  Cabinet  on  September  17. 


DISCOVERY  OF  LAND:  IvWAK  ISLAND         271 

ber  to  the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul,  where  we  would  pass  the  win- 
ter. All  having  agreed  to  this  plan.  Captain  Commander  Bering  on  the 
St.  Peter,  accompanied  by  Captain  Chirikov  on  the  St.  Paid,  sailed  out 
of  Avacha  Bay  on  June  4,  1741.  and  on  getting  out  to  sea  kept  the  course 
agreed  upon,  that  is  SE  by  E,  and  a  little  closer  at  times. 

The  wind  was  fair,  and  we  kept  together  with  Captain  Chirikov  until 
June  19,  when  there  was  a  strong  easterly  wind  which  compelled  us  and 
him  to  take  in  sail  and  heave  to.  The  5^  Paul  was  seen  to  the  northwest 
of  us  until  about  eleven  o'clock  at  night,  being  then  in  latitude  49°  52' 
N  and  from  Vaua  17°  49',  but  after  that  time  we  lost  sight  of  her. 
With  the  coming  of  day  we  set  out  to  find  her  on  the  course  on 
which  we  saw  her  during  the  night,  and  in  this  neighborhood  so  far 
as  the  weather  allowed  we  spent  43  hours  but  without  success.  Then  Cap- 
tain Commander  Bering,  his  officers  agreeing,  decided  to  pursue  the  course 
originally  agreed  upon  between  S  and  E,  and  we  kept  within  that  quarter 
of  the  compass  on  various  rhumbs,  according  to  the  wind,  to  45°  13' 
and  to  the  east  of  Vaua  16°  23',  and  about  200  German  miles  without 
finding  any  land.  The  Captain  Commander  then  changed  the  course 
to  E  by  N,  the  same  which  had  been  agreed  upon  in  council,  and  we 
sailed  on  it  to  latitude  48°  38'  and  longitude  from  Vaua  36°,  but  even  at 
this  distance  no  land  was  seen.  The  Captain  Commander,  his  officers 
agreeing,  decided  to  keep  a  little  more  to  the  north  in  the  hope  of  soon 
discovering  some  land.  Between  N  and  E  we  sailed  until  July  16,  on 
which  day  we  saw  land  [Mt.  St.  Elias]  in  the  northwest.  We  steered 
for  it  and  on  July  20  anchored  alongside  one  of  the  islands,  which  we 
named  St.  Elias  [Kayak]. 

This  island  is  situated  in  latitude  59°  40'  N;^  longitude  from  Vaua 
48°  50',  and  on  the  course  E  by  N  from  Vaua  41 7K  German  miles.  That 
same  day  the  Captain  Commander  sent  Fleet  Master  Khitrov  in  the 
longboat  to  look  about  among  the  other  islands  in  sight  for  a  good  anchor- 
ing place  where  we  might  run  for  shelter  in  case  of  need.  Khitrov  re- 
turned during  the  day  and  made  a  verbal  report  to  the  Captain  to  the 
effect  that  he  found  anchorage  between  the  mainland  and  the  island 
in  the  roadstead,  where  he  got  3  to  3^2  fathoms  of  water.  He  also  reported 
that  on  that  island  he  came  across  a  hut  built  of  hewn  boards  and  that 
there  were  indications  that  people  occupied  the  hut  shortly  before  our 
coming.  He  brought  to  show  us  a  wooden  basket,  a  shovel,  also  a  stone 
which  had  on  it  many  marks  of  copper.  The  Adjunct  Steller,  who  went 
in  the  small  boat  to  the  island  of  St.  Elias,  found  there  an  earthen  hut 
in  which  were  dried  fish,  cured  that  very  summer;  we  saw  also  human 
footprints  on  the  sand  and  a  fireplace.     It  was  evident  that  on  seeing 

'  Yushin  gives  59°  49',  Khitrov  59°  39'.  The  correct  latitude  of  the  southern 
point  (Cape  St.  Elias)  is  59°  48',  of  the  northern  point  60°  o',  and  of  the  St.  Peter's 
anchorage  59°  56'. 


272  REPORT  ON  VOYAGE  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

us  the  people  ran  into  the  "voods  to  hide  or  that  their  homes  are  on  the 
mainland  and  they  visit  this  island  to  catch  fish  and  hunt  sea  animals.  In 
order  to  show  his  good  will  to  the  native  people  the  Captain  Commander 
sent  to  the  hut  a  number  of  presents — 16/2  arshins  of  green-colored  goods, 
2  iron  knives,  20  Chinese  strings  of  beads,  2  iron  [smoking]  pipes,  all  of 
which  were  left  there.  We  could  not  tell  whether  on  the  mainland  there 
was  any  good  timber  or  not,  but  we  did  see  the  huge  mountains  and 
volcanoes  covered  with  snow.  On  the  island  there  is  plenty  of  small 
timber,  namely  fir,  larch,  and  other  trees,  which  are  not  fit  for  building 
and  not  even  for  repairing  a  ship,  for  we  looked  for  material  for  topyards 
but  did  not  find  it. 

When  we  had  provided  ourselves  with  water  from  the  island  of  St. 
Elias,  the  Captain  Commander,  mainly  because  it  was  dangerous  to  lie 
out  in  the  open  sea,  departed  July  21,  and  we  steered  between  S  and  W, 
following  the  lay  of  the  land,  for  the  purpose  of  observation.  In  this 
way  we  sailed  on  various  courses  and  came  to  latitude  56°  54'  by  July  26. 
Here  we  sighted  that  same  coast  [Sitkalidak  Island]  in  the  direction  NE 
by  N  from  us,  about  seven  miles  distant.  On  taking  soundings  we  had 
35  to  40  fathoms  of  water.  It  was  quite  unsafe  to  keep  near  the  land  be- 
cause of  the  sand  banks,  continuous  heavy  fogs,  and  violent  winds;  on 
that  account,  as  well  as  our  ignorance  of  the  nature  of  the  coast,  which 
had  dangers  for  us,  we  steered  different  courses  in  order  to  draw  away 
from  it  more  and  more — all  of  which  is  clearly  noted  down  in  our  log 
book.  This  maneuvering  we  kept  up  until  August  2.  During  that  night 
as  the  fog  lifted,  we  saw  quite  close  to  us  an  island  [Chirikov  Island], 
the  water  being  18,  17,  and  16  fathoms  deep.  On  that  account,  as  well 
as  the  darkness  and  the  fog,  we  let  go  the  anchor  in  18  fathoms.  We 
named  this  island  Tumannoi  [foggy].    In  the  morning  we  sailed  away. 

The  mainland  was  from  us  in  a  NNW  direction  and  not  a  great  distance 
away.  August  4  we  sighted  five  islands  [Semidi],  and  from  this  time 
on  we  kept  farther  and  farther  out  to  sea.  For  the  course  we  were  follow- 
ing the  winds  were  quite  contrary.  By  August  10  we  were  in  latitude  53° 
18'  N  and  from  Vaua  a  little  less  than  400  German  miles;  and  taking  all 
this  into  consideration,  also  the  report  submitted  by  the  assistant  surgeon, 
to  the  effect  that  21  of  our  company  were  down  with  scurvy  and  that, 
if  obliged  to  remain  out  at  sea  during  the  autumn  weather,  they  would  be 
altogether  unfit  for  service,  the  Captain  Commander  with  his  higher  and 
lower  officers  decided  that  if  the  winds  permitted  it  we  should  from  this 
day  on  keep  on  the  53rd  parallel  in  order  tp  see  whether  or  not  American 
land  is  to  be  found  on  that  parallel,  although  the  last  we  saw  of  it  was 
on  the  55th.  We  attempted  to  put  our  decision  into  execution  but,  until 
August  27,  were  hindered  by  the  severe  headwinds  from  the  west,  being 
then  still  more  than  300  German  miles  from  Vaua  and  on  the  S3rd 
parallel  of  latitude.     It  was  quite  clear  to  the  Captain  Commander  that 


LANDING  ON  SHUMAGIN  ISLANDS  273 

if  these  violent  head  winds  held  on  we  should  not  advance  very  fast.  At 
this  time  we  had  only  25  barrels  of  water,  and  to  attempt  with  no  more 
on  hand  to  reach  the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul,  assuming  even 
that  headwinds  would  no  longer  trouble  us,  would  be  very  dangerous  and 
might  lead  to  a  great  misfortune. 

Taking  these  possibilities  into  consideration  it  was  agreed  on  this  27th 
day  of  August  to  go  in  search  of  water  on  the  land  which  according 
to  our  calculation  was  about  60  miles  away.  On  the  29th  we  saw  many 
islands  [Shumagin] ,  towards  which  we  steered  closer  and  closer,  having 
55.  50,  45.  and  15  fathoms  of  water,  with  an  even,  sloping,  sandy  bottom. 
When  we  had  come  near  enough  we  lowered  the  small  yawl  and  sent 
the  Assistant  Navigator  Vushin  to  find  anchorage  among  the  islands. 
While  he  was  gone  we  anchored  in  24  fathoms.  When  he  returned  and 
said  that  he  could  not  find  good  anchorage  we  weighed  anchor,  put  over 
the  longboat,  and  went  in  its  tow  into  the  bay  among  the  islands,  where 
we  had  25  and  15  fathoms  of  water.  Near  one  of  the  islands  we  anchored 
and  sent  the  navigator  ashore  to  look  for  water,  and,  on  returning,  he 
reported  to  the  Captain  Commander  that  he  found  plenty  of  it.  The 
mainland  was  seen  behind  these  islands  about  12  miles  away.  During 
the  night  we  saw  fire  on  one  of  the  islands  to  the  NNE,  about  a  mile  and 
a  half  away  from  us. 

The  following  morning,  August  30,  Fleet  Master  Khitrov  was  sent 
in  the  small  yawl  to  the  place  where  fire  had  been  seen,  with  instructions 
that,  if  he  found  people,  he  should  treat  them  kindly;  and  with  that  in 
view  he  was  given  a  number  of  things  to  present  to  them.  In  the  mean- 
time a  strong  wind  was  blowing,  accompanied  by  squalls,  so  that  it 
was  not  safe  to  remain  longer  near  the  island,  as  we  were  wholly  unpro- 
tected. We  were  therefore  obliged  to  seek  shelter,  though  it  was  slight, 
among  the  islands,  where  we  anchored.  On  September  2  we  sent  the 
longboat  to  Khitrov  because,  owing  to  the  violent  wind,  he  could  not 
get  off  shore  in  the  small  yawl.  The  next  day,  September  3,  he  came 
safely  aboard  but  without  the  small  yawl,  which  he  had  to  leave  behind 
owing  to  the  strong  wind  and  heavy  surf.  He  made  a  report  to  the  Cap- 
tain Commander  that  he  was  at  the  place  where  fire  had  been  seen,  that 
he  found  the  fireplace  but  did  not  meet  any  people.  This  same  day  we 
weighed  anchor  and  tacked  among  the  islands,  going  around  the  first 
island  to  the  island  [Bird  Island]  which  was  to  the  east  of  it,  about  two 
miles  distant,  and  there  anchoring  in  15  fathoms.  Here  we  remained, 
September  4.  About  noon  of  the  5th  we  heard  a  loud  noise  and  saw  two 
men,  who  sat  in  two  baidarkas  rowing  towards  our  ship.  When  they 
came  within  50  fathoms  of  us  they  stopi)cd  and  called  to  us  in  their 
tongue,  which  our  interpreters  of  the  Chukchi  and  Koriak  languages 
could  not  make  out.  Our  interpreters  hailed  them  in  Koriak  and  in 
Chukchi,  and  it  was  evident  that  they  could  not  understand,  because 


274     REPORT  ON  VOYAGE  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

they  pointed  to  their  ears,  waved  their  hands  to  us,  and  motioned  to 
the  shore.  After  this,  one  of  the  two  approached  much  closer  to  our  ship 
but  would  not  come  alongside.  At  the  order  of  the  Captain  Commander 
we  threw  to  him,  tied  on  a  board,  several  arshins  of  red  (Chinese)  silk, 
mirrors,  iron  pipes  for  smoking  Chinese  tobacco  (called  shar),  and  several 
small  copper  bells.  He  seemed  to  receive  these  gifts  with  pleasure,  and 
in  return  he  threw  to  us  two  thin  sticks  planed  smooth,  to  one  of  which 
were  tied  birds'  feathers  and  to  the  other  a  bird's  claw  with  the  feathers 
on,  which  feathers  we  identified  as  that  of  the  hawk.  When  we  had 
accepted  the  presents  the  Americans  pulled  away  for  the  shore,  at  the 
same  time  shouting  to  us  in  a  loud  voice  and  waving  their  hands  towaid 
the  beach. 

The  Captain  Commander  ordered  that  the  longboat  should  be  lowered; 
in  this  I  was  sent  to  the  Americans.  I  took  with  me  an  interpreter  who 
understood  the  Chukchi  and  Koriak  tongues,  several  armed  men,  also 
presents  and  Russian  liquor.  When  I  came  near  the  place  of  the  Ameri- 
cans I  anchored  because,  owing  to  the  surf,  the  strong  wind,  and  sub- 
merged rocks,  it  was  impossible  to  land.  I  allowed  the  interpreter  and 
several  men  of  my  party  to  wade  ashore.  At  the  same  time  I  offered  the 
Americans  presents,  which  they  would  not  accept.  To  one  of  them  I 
handed  a  cup  of  liquor,  which  he  took  and  drank  but  immediately  spat 
it  out.  In  the  meantime  the  interpreter  who  went  ashore  was  led  to 
their  camp,  where  he  was  offered  whale  blubber,  which  he  accepted. 
When  he  wished  to  go  back  to  the  boat  the  Americans  detained  him 
and  would  not  allow  it;  just  how  fast  they  held  him  it  was  difficult  to 
say.  In  order  to  free  him  I  was  obliged  to  command  the  soldiers  to 
fire  in  the  air.  When  the  guns  were  fired  they  all  fell  on  the  ground, 
and  this  gave  the  interpreter  the  chance  to  come  aboard.  The  Ameri- 
cans made  a  dash  for  the  boat,  seized  the  painter,  and  started  to  haul 
the  boat  ashore.  I  feared  that  it  would  be  smashed  on  the  rocks  and 
therefore  shouted  to  cut  the  painter  and  slip  the  cable.  With  all  my 
men  I  returned  safe  on  board  and  made  a  verbal  report  to  the  Captain 
Commander.  At  night  the  Americans  built  a  big  fire  on  the  beach. 
That  night  there  was  an  unusually  strong  wind,  and  we  were  compelled 
to  strike  the  main  and  fore  yards  and  wait  for  daylight.  As  soon  as  the 
5th  of  September  dawned  we  weighed  anchor  and  tacked  near  the  island 
with  the  intention  of  proceeding  on  our  course,  but  the  wind  was  contrary 
and  the  tide  against  us.  We  went  back  again  to  the  island  and  anchored 
in  17  fathoms.  While  we  were  at  anchor  there  rowed  to  us  from  the  afore- 
mentioned island  seven  haidarkas,  two  of  which  came  right  up  to  the  ship. 
It  was  evident  that  they  had  never  before  seen  a  gun,  for  when  they  came 
to  us  they  were  not  in  the  least  afraid.  We  gave  them  at  this  time  an 
iron  kettle  and  a  few  needles.  They  gave  to  us  as  presents  two  hats  made 
of  bark  on  which  were  fastened  ivory  images  in  the  form  of  a  human 


SKIRTING  THE  ALEUTIAN  ISLANDS  275 

being.'  These  images  are  being  sent  together  with  this  humble  report 
to  the  honorable  Admiralty  College,  but  the  hats  as  well  as  the  sticks 
were  lost  at  the  time  of  our  misfortune. 

All  these  islands  are  uninhabited  and  treeless.  It  is  evident  that  the 
Americans  come  in  baidarkas  from  the  mainland  to  the  islands  to  hunt  sea 
animals  and  to  catch  fish.  As  to  the  way  the  Americans  make  their 
baidarkas  from  seal  hide,  it  may  be  seen  from  the  detailed  drawing  which  I 
made  on  the  map  which  is  sent  to  the  Admiralty  College.  Having  taken 
on  water  we  got  under  sail  September  6  and  continued  on  our  course. 
We  called  that  island  Shumagin.  We  intended  to  go  straight  to  Avacha 
Bay,  but  contrary  winds  from  the  west  as  well  as  violent  winds  hindered 
us  and  caused  us  much  suffering.  Frequently  we  had  to  heave  to  in  order 
to  save  ourselves.  On  September  24  we  came  to  latitude  51°  N  where  we 
sighted  several  islands  [Adak,  Atka]  and,  behind  them  on  the  WNW, 
the  American  mainland  [Great  Sitkin].  At  this  place  there  blew  an  inde- 
scribable gale  from  the  west  which  continued  until  October  13.  During 
the  whole  time  we  had  to  heave  to  and  were  carried  to  the  eastward 
about  80  German  miles.  In  order  that  the  Admiralty  College  may  form 
some  idea  of  the  storm  it  should  be  pointed  out  that  the  old  navigators 
said  that  they  had  seldom  seen  anything  like  it.  We  were  saved  from  it 
with  great  difficulty.  A  number  of  the  men  were  down  with  scurvy, 
some  died  of  it,  and  those  who  survived  were  too  weak  to  work.  Al- 
though, on  account  of  the  hard  labor  and  the  continuous  inclement 
weather,  we  were  at  the  end  of  our  strength,  yet  with  the  help  of  God 
we  made  every  effort  to  reach  the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul.  On 
October  25,  being  then  in  latitude  51°  and  some  minutes,  we  sighted  a 
high,  rocky,  and  treeless  island  in  NW  by  N,  which  we  named  St.  Marki- 
ana  [Kiska  Island].  On  the  28th  we  saw  another  island  to  the  NNW, 
about  three  miles  distant,  and  in  its  neighborhood  three  small  islands.  As 
far  as  we  could  make  out  they  were  all  bare  and  treeless.  This  island  we 
named  St.  Stephen  [Buldir].  The  following  day  it  was  foggy,  and  on 
taking  soundings  and  getting  only  35  fathoms  of  water  we  hove  to  and 
did  not  take  any  chances.  When  it  cleared  a  bit  we  noticed  an  island 
to  the  west  which  we  named  St.  Abraham  [one  of  the  Scmichij.  We  then 
hoisted  the  sails  and  went  on  our  way.  It  became  very  difficult  to  run  the 
ship  because,  in  addition  to  those  who  died,  40  were  ill  and  those  who 
were  still  about  were  very  feeble.    We  continued  under  these  conditions 

•  These  so-called  hats  were  eye  shades  which  the  hunters  used  when  out  at  sea. 
Cook  gives  the  following  description  of  them:  "All  of  them  [Aleuts  of  Unalaska) 
have  a  kind  of  oval  snouted  cap,  made  of  wood,  with  a  rim  to  admit  the  head. 
These  caps  arc  dyed  with  green  and  other  colors;  and  round  the  upper  part  of  the 
rim  are  stuck  the  long  bristles  of  some  sea  animal  (sea  lion]  on  which  are  strung 
glass  beads;  and  on  the  front  is  a  small  image  or  two  made  of  bone."  (James  Cook: 
A  Voyage  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  London,  1784,  Vol.  2,  p.  51.)     See  Fig.  12.  lower. 


276  REPORT  ON  VOYAGE  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

until  November  4,  on  which  day  we  sighted  land  [Copper  Island]  which 
we  looked  upon  as  a  godsend  because  it  was  beyond  our  strength  to 
keep  any  longer  at  sea.  By  observation  this  land  is  in  latitude  54°,  but  by 
dead  reckoning  we  thought  we  were  in  latitude  53°  and  in  longitude  some 
140  minutes  from  Vaua.  From  this  reckoning  we  hoped  that  the  land 
in  sight  might  be  Kamchatka,  some  little  distance  north  of  Shipunski 
Cape.  Our  faulty  reckoning  was  due  to  the  fact  that  we  had  for  a  long 
time  (as  may  be  seen  from  our  log  book)  thick  weather  and  no  sunshine 
to  set  us  right. 

We  and  our  men  were  greatly  weakened  from  the  severe  attack  of  the 
scurvy  and  at  the  end  of  our  strength  and  in  great  danger,  for  it  may  be 
said  at  that  time  the  ship  was  without  control.  Of  our  men  there  were 
only  eight  who,  with  great  pain,  could  look  after  themselves,  and  of 
these  three,  one  of  them  being  the  Captain  Commander's  man,  could 
come  on  deck.  All  the  others  were  sick  unto  death.  We  had  only  six 
barrels  of  water  on  board.  As  to  provisions  we  had  no  sea  biscuit  or  such 
like  and  only  a  little  flour,  butter,  and  meat.  On  top  of  this  the  shrouds 
on  the  mainsail  above  the  catharpings  on  the  right  side  were  all  torn,  and 
therefore  we  could  not  carry  any  sail  on  the  mainmast  and,  as  was  noted 
above,  there  was  no  one  to  do  any  repairing.  At  the  particular  time  of 
our  misfortune  the  wind  was  contrary  for  getting  around  the  cape  seen 
by  us.  Therefore,  on  November  5,  realizing  that  we  were  in  a  bad  state 
to  remain  longer  at  sea  and  that  it  was  dangerous  to  wait  for  fair  winds 
because  our  men  were  giving  out  so  fast  that  we  feared  we  should  be  left 
without  any  help  whatever  and  the  ship  would  be  lost  with  all  on  board, 
the  Captain  Commander  called  together  for  consultation  all  the  higher 
and  lower  officers  and  those  of  the  men  who  were  still  able  to  drag  them- 
selves to  the  cabin.  The  members  of  the  crew  announced  that  because 
of  their  sickness  and  feebleness  they  were  no  longer  able  to  do  their  work 
at  sea.  Taking  this  into  account  the  Captain  Commander  and  the  higher 
and  lower  officers  agreed  to  look  for  an  anchoring  place  where  we  might 
winter  in  order  to  save  ourselves  and  not  be  entirely  destroyed  by  such 
a  dreadful  disease.  All  the  men  agreed  to  this,  and  we  sailed  before  the 
wind  towards  the  land  and  drew  near  it  about  five  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon and  anchored  with  the  small  bower  in  12  fathoms  of  water  and  paid 
out  about  three-fourths  of  a  cable.  It  broke  about  80  fathoms  from  the 
end,  and  we  were  carried  by  the  surf  5  fathoms,  when  we  let  go  another 
anchor  with  the  same  result,  and  we  were  carried  by  the  surf  over  [the 
reef]  closer  to  the  shore  into  4%  fathoms,  where  we  let  fall  the  best  bower 
and  paid  out  three-fourths  of  a  cable.  By  this  time  we  had  49  of  the 
crew  on  the  sick  list.  On  November  6  we  lowered  the  longboat  and 
moored  the  ship,  but  only  after  great  difficulty  since  we  were  so  short- 
handed.  After  this  week,  with  the  help  of  those  men  who,  although  with 
some  effort,  were  still  able  to  be  on  their  feet,  we  did  our  best  to  transport 


VAIN  ATTEMPTS  TO  SAVE  THE  SHIP  277 

the  sick  ashore  and  to  put  up  for  them  tents  made  out  of  sails.  When 
these  were  up  we  took  the  sick  Captain  Commander  ashore  on  Novem- 
ber 8;  Fleet  Master  Khitrov,  who  was  also  ill,  on  the  15th;  and  many  of 
the  crew,  not  a  few  of  whom  died  as  they  were  being  transported.  On 
the  2ist  I,  too,  was  so  ill  that  I  had  to  be  taken  off  the  ship  because  I  was 
almost  helpless,  and  there  was  no  one  to  bring  water  on  board,  and  no 
one  to  look  after  the  ship. 

At  this  time  the  Captain  Commander  sent  Constable  Roselius  with 
two  other  men  with  instructions  to  follow  the  shore  in  a  northerly  direc- 
tion to  determine  whether  the  land  on  which  we  were  was  part  of  Kam- 
chatka or  some  island;  and,  if  Kamchatka,  Roselius  was  to  continue 
on  his  way  until  he  came  to  an  inhabited  place  and  there  carry  out  such 
orders  as  the  Captain  Commander  gave  him.  Roselius  was  so  weak 
that  he  did  not  go  farther  than  30  miles  from  our  camp  and  returned 
without  news.  On  November  21,  the  Captain  Commander  ordered  me, 
with  the  higher  and  lower  officers  and  members  of  the  crew,  to  submit 
a  report  on  the  best  way  to  save  the  ship.  This  was  done,  and  the  report 
was  submitted  on  the  23rd,  in  which  we  recommended  that  the  ship 
should  be  hauled  up  on  the  sandy  beach  near  our  camp  and  that  the  cargo 
should  not  be  unloaded  so  that  in  case  of  a  strong  offshore  wind  and  the 
breaking  of  the  cables  the  ship  would  not  be  carried  out  to  sea.  The  Cap- 
tain Commander  accepted  the  report  and  that  same  day,  the  23rd,  ordered 
Master  Khitrov  to  put  it  into  execution  at  the  very  first  opportunity. 
On  the  25th  Khitrov  started  to  go  on  board  and,  when  he  came  to  where 
the  longboat  was  hauled  up,  was  told  by  the  boatswain,  Alexei  Ivanov, 
who  was  on  watch,  that  there  were  only  five  able-bodied  men.  In  drag- 
ging the  longboat  into  the  water  one  of  the  men  got  drenched  to  the  skin 
and  had  to  give  up,  which  left  four  men  who  were  completely  exhausted. 
When  Master  Khitrov  realized  that  with  this  handful  of  men  he  could 
not  weigh  the  best  bower  anchor,  that  the  wind  at  the  time  was  blowing 
NNW  straight  on  the  rocky  reef,  which  was  about  150  fathoms  in  SSE 
direction  from  where  the  ship  was  at  that  time,  and  that  the  topmasts 
and  yards  were  down,  and  even  if  there  had  been  enough  men  it  would 
be  dangerous  to  move  the  ship  in  such  weather,  owing  to  the  above-men- 
tioned reef,  he  became  convinced  that  he  could  not  carry  out  the  task 
assigned  to  him.  He  then  came  to  me  and  explained  the  situation,  and 
I  advised  him  to  make  his  report  to  the  Captain  Commander,  which  he 
did.  From  the  25th  to  the  28th  it  blew  hard  so  that  it  was  not  possible 
to  go  on  board  to  carry  out  the  above-mentioned  order.  In  addition  to 
the  other  troubles  Fleet  Master  Khitrov  was  quite  ill  with  scurvy  and 
unable  to  be  about  and  was  put  in  the  same  tent  with  the  rest  of  us. 
On  the  night  of  November  28  a  violent  storm  from  NE  broke  the  cable 
and  drove  the  ship  on  the  sandy  beach  on  which  we  had  planned  to 
lay  her  up.     On  December  i  the  Captain  Commander  sent  the  sailor 


278  REPORT  ON  VOYAGE  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

Anchiugov  with  two  other  men  along  the  shore  to  the  south  to  explore 
and  to  learn  whether  the  land  on  which  we  were  was  the  mainland  or 
some  island.  They  came  back  on  December  27  without  any  definite 
information. 

On  December  8,  1741,  by  the  will  of  God,  Captain  Commander  Bering 
died  of  scurvy  from  which  he  had  been  suffering  for  four  months,  and  we 
buried  him  on  the  island  where  we  lived.  I  succeeded  him  in  command, 
and,  with  the  assistance  of  Fleet  Master  Khitrov,  every  effort  was  made 
to  find  out  where  we  were;  but,  owing  to  bad  weather  and  other  serious 
obstacles,  it  was  not  before  the  month  of  April  that  we  knew  anything 
certain.  As  soon  as  we  were  sure  that  we  were  on  an  island,  we  made  a 
general  inspection  of  the  St.  Peter  to  determine  whether  she  was  in  good 
condition  for  going  to  Kamchatka  and  whether  it  was  possible  to  get  her 
into  the  water.  Our  examination  showed  that  the  vessel  was  so  badly 
injured  that  she  could  not  be  repaired,  that  we  had  nothing  to  repair  her 
with,  and  that  we  had  not  the  facilities  for  getting  her  off  since  she  was 
buried  in  something  like  seven  feet  of  sand  above  the  keel.  We  took 
council  together  as  to  how  to  get  away  from  the  island,  and  we  found 
no  other  means  (since  the  island  was  bare  and  treeless)  than  to  break  up 
the  ship  and  make  out  of  her  for  our  voyage  to  Kamchatka  as  large  a  vessel 
as  the  timber  would  allow.  To  this  plan  all  agreed,  and  we  went  to  work 
in  April  and  continued  operations  until  May  5.  On  the  following  day 
(May  6),  with  the  help  of  God,  we  commenced  building  the  new  vessel, 
the  keel  of  which  was  36  feet,  beam  12,  and  depth  5  feet  3  inches.  We 
worked  as  fast  as  we  could,  making  use  of  every  favorable  moment. 

The  island  on  which  we  wintered  extends  from  54°  to  56°  north  latitude, 
and  from  the  southern  cape,  which  we  named  Cape  Manati,  that  is  to  say 
Sea  Cow,  it  stretches  from  NNW  to  SSE.  It  is  about  130  versts  long 
and  about  10  wide.  There  are  no  habitations  on  it  and  no  signs  that 
people  ever  lived  there.  There  are  no  trees  of  any  kind  except  in  some 
places  a  few  small  willows.  On  the  island  are  high  mountains  and  vol- 
canoes. In  many  places  there  are  rocky  bluffs,  making  it  extremely 
difficult  for  seagoing  vessels  to  approach,  for  on  the  whole  island  there  are 
very  few  places  where  the  beach  is  not  full  of  rocks,  stretching  out  into 
the  sea  for  a  verst  or  more,  which  are  submerged  at  high  tide  and  exposed 
at  low  tide.  Where  the  beach  is  not  rocky  the  surf  runs  high,  and  there- 
fore it  is  quite  dangerous  to  anchor  in  the  roadstead.  For  ships  that 
draw  five  or  six  feet  of  water  there  is  no  place  for  wintering,  for  we  looked 
into  the  question  of  a  harbor  and  sent  for  that  purpose  Fleet  Master 
Khitrov  to  the  south  and  boatswain  Alexei  Ivanov  to  the  north,  but 
they  could  not  find  one.  When  the  wind  blew  from  the  west  it  brought 
us  from  Kamchatka  pieces  of  timber  that  had  been  used  in  the  building 
of  huts,  planks  that  had  been  used  for  fastening  together  rafts  of  logs, 
and  broken  deer  sleds  such  as  are  used  by  the  wandering  Koriaks. 


VVIXTERIXG  ON  BERING  ISLAND  279 

Many  times  when  the  weather  was  clear  some  of  our  men  saw,  from 
the  west  side  of  the  island,  what  seemed  to  be  snow-covered  volcanoes, 
but  on  account  of  the  great  distance  we  could  not  be  sure  about  that, 
but  our  reckoning  on  the  1 742  voyage  leaves  no  room  for  doubt  that  the 
volcanoes  in  question  were  those  of  the  Kamchatka  coast.  From  the 
American  side  there  floated  over  to  us  big  pine  trees,  arrows,  and  paddles 
such  as  are  not  found  in  Kamchatka.  While  on  the  island  we  lived  very 
poorly  because  our  dwellings  were  holes  made  in  the  sand  covered  over 
with  sail.  The  gathering  of  wood  was  particularly  difficult,  for  we  were 
obliged  to  search  for  it  along  the  beach  and  carry  it  on  our  backs  as  far 
as  10  or  12  versts.  While  we  were  there  we  and  nearly  all  the  men  in  our 
command  suffered  greatly  from  scurvy  and  for  such  a  long  time  that  some 
did  not  fully  recover  before  spring  when  there  were  found  some  greens 
which  could  be  used  for  food.  During  the  whole  winter  our  food,  because 
we  had  no  other  provision,  was,  we  might  say,  very  poor,  difficult  to 
obtain,  and  not  fit  to  eat.  We  had  to  hunt  along  the  beach  sometimes 
as  far  as  20  and  30  versts  in  the  hopes  of  killing  a  sea  animal,  sea  otter, 
sea  lion,  or  hair  seal,  which  is  commonly  called  tulen.  Having  killed 
the  beast  we  had  to  carry  it  on  our  backs  the  same  long  distance  back  to 
our  camp.  If  we  could  not  find  live  animals  to  kill  we  had  to  content 
ourselves  with  dead  ones  that  were  washed  ashore,  such  as  sea  cows  and 
whales.  By  spring  the  game  was  frightened  away,  and  we  had  to  live 
on  the  fur  seals  which  came  here  at  that  time  to  breed.  Their  meat  was 
especially  nauseating;  and,  as  it  became  more  so  as  time  went  on,  we  took 
to  hunting  sea  cows,  huge  animals,  weighing  no  less  than  two  hundred 
poods.  One  may  form  an  idea  of  the  appearance  of  these  animals — fur 
seal,  sea  lion,  and  sea  cow — from  the  sketches  of  them  made  on  the  map 
which  I  send  to  the  Admiralty  College.^  From  this  time  on  we  lived  on  sea 
cow  meat,  which  is  better  than  that  of  the  other  animals  aforementioned. 

On  the  island  where  W2  lived  there  were  violent  winds  and  even  bliz- 
zards during  the  winter.  It  may  be  said  that  between  December  and 
March  there  was  seldom  a  fair  day.  From  March  and  during  the  spring 
and  summer  months  there  was  almost  continuous  fog  and  dampness  and 
little  pleasant  weather. 

The  delay  in  the  construction  of  our  vessel  was  due  in  part  to  the  dis- 
agreeable atmospheric  conditions  just  mentioned  and  in  part  to  the 
poor  health  of  the  men  and  the  great  distance  from  the  source  of  author- 
ity, which  made  it  unsafe  to  hold  them  strictly  to  their  work,  and  nothing 
could  be  done  without  the  consent  of  all  concerned.  Adjunct  Steller, 
who  was  with  us,  prospected  the  island  for  metals  and  minerals  but  found 
none.  When  with  God's  help  the  new  ship  was  finished,  I,  with  Fleet 
Master  Khitrov  and  all  the  men,  had  a  meeting  to  discuss  what  we  should 

♦  Reproduced  by  W.  H.  Dall  as  PI.  70,  Appendix  19.  U.  S.  Coast  and  Geodetic 
Survey  Rept.  for  iSgo. 


28o      REPORT  ON  VOYAGE  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

do  with  all  the  material  on  hand.  We  agreed  to  take  with  us  a  certain 
amount  of  iron  for  ballast,  such  provisions  as  we  needed,  a  supply  of  fresh 
water,  several  barrels  of  salted  sea  cow  meat,  and  all  the  crew  with  their 
baggage  and  to  sail  for  Kamchatka.  All  the  other  material  and  supplies, 
the  greater  part  of  which  was  worthless,  according  to  the  testimony  of  the 
Fleet  Master  and  the  petty  officers,  it  was  decided  to  leave  behind  in  the 
warehouse  which  we  built  for  that  purpose.  Owing  to  the  fall  weather 
and  our  ignorance  of  the  seaworthiness  of  our  craft  we  did  not  think  it 
wise  to  overload  it.  A  list  of  all  the  material,  good  and  bad,  left  behind 
is  sent  to  the  Admiralty  College. 

On  August  10  we  launched  our  newly  constructed  ship  which  we  named 
the  hooker  St.  Peter,  and  we  rigged  it  on  August  13.  Having  taken  on 
board  all  the  men  to  the  number  of  46,  we  started,  with  God's  help,  on  our 
way  to  Kamchatka.  On  the  night  of  August  15,  while  out  at  sea,  the  ves- 
sel, owing  to  her  poor  construction,  sprang  a  big  leak  so  that  there  was 
soon  about  two  feet  of  water  in  the  hold.  We  were  in  great  danger,  and  to 
lighten  the  ship  we  threw  out  of  the  hold  cannon  balls  and  shot.  By 
means  of  buckets  and  pumps  we  got  rid  of  some  of  the  water.  When  the 
leak  had  been  somewhat  attended  to  we  proceeded  on  our  course.  On 
August  26  we  sailed  safely  into  the  Harbor  of  the  Holy  Apostles  St.  Peter 
and  St.  Paul.  There  we  heard  that  Captain  Chirikov  and  his  company 
had  left  this  same  summer  for  Okhotsk.  We  repaired  the  hooker  St.  Peter 
and  set  sail  on  September  i  with  the  intention  of  following  him  to 
Okhotsk,  but  after  being  out  at  sea  for  five  days  another  big  leak  was  dis- 
covered. In  addition  to  other  troubles  the  wind  was  contrary,  so  that 
we  decided,  all  agreeing,  to  return  for  the  winter  to  the  harbor  so  that 
we  might  not  suffer  misfortune  from  such  a  leak  in  such  an  unreliable 
vessel  and  so  late  a  season. 

We  are  now  in  Kamchatka,  where  we  plan  to  remain  until  the  coming 
April,  when  we  will  repair  the  hooker  and  go  to  Okhotsk.  If  Captain 
Chirikov  should  still  be  there,  I  and  my  company  will  place  ourselves  at 
his  orders;  if  he  should  be  gone,  we  will  proceed  to  Yakutsk,  where  I  will 
try  to  carry  out  the  instructions  of  the  Admiralty  College  which  I  shall 
there  receive;  if  there  are  no  orders  on  hand,  I  will  wait  until  they  come. 

1  take  this  occasion  to  report  to  the  Admiralty  College  that  from  the 
time  we  left  the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  in  the  year  1741,  and 
during  the  time  we  were  out  at  sea  and  on  the  island,  there  died  of  scurvy 
at  different  times,  officers  and  others,  31  men.  The  names  of  these  per- 
sons and  the  dates  of  their  death  are  sent  on  a  special  list. 

Article  9  of  the  instructions  which  the  Admiralty  College  gave  to  Cap- 
tain Commander  Bering  reads  that  when  the  expedition  shall  have  come 
to  an  end  there  should  be  forwarded  to  the  Admiralty  College  the  log 
book  and  the  chart  that  shall  have  been  made  by  the  officers  who  were 
on  the  voyage.    I  and  Fleet  Master  Khitrov  fully  meant  to  do  that  [make 


FINAL  ARR.\XGEME.\TS  281 

the  chart]  but  we  were  in  such  trouble  and  so  ill  (all  of  which  I  have 
reported  above)  that  we  have  not  as  yet  been  able  to  accomplish  it.  But 
the  log  book  and  a  sketch  map  giving  the  outline  of  the  American  coast 
(which  we  wished  to  name,  after  the  manner  of  other  European  dis- 
coverers, "New  Russia"  but  did  not  feel  empowered  to  do  so  without 
orders  of  the  Admiralty  College),  as  well  as  sketch  maps  of  the  islands  of 
St.  Elias,  Shumagin,  and  the  other  neighboring  islands  are  being  sent  to 
the  Admiralty  College  this  15th  day  of  November,  1742,  by  a  special  mes- 
senger, one  of  my  men,  the  boatswain  Alexei  Ivanov.  This  man  was  a 
tower  of  strength  when  we  were  in  trouble.  The  Captain  Commander 
made  him  boatswain,  and  he  fulfilled  the  duties  of  his  position  in  an  able 
manner.  For  greater  safety  in  going  through  the  country  of  the  natives 
Ivanov  is  accompanied  by  Ivan  Okulov,  one  of  our  soldiers,  from  a 
Tobolsk  regiment.  They  are  ordered  to  go  by  way  of  the  Anadyr  Post 
and  to  lose  no  time. 

That  which  I  have  reported  above  about  our  hardships  and  suffering 
I  humbly  pray  that  the  Admiralty  College  may  receive. 

Lieutenant  Sven  Waxel 
Harbor  of  the  Holy  Apostles 
St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul 

November  13,  1742 

Enclosure 

List  of  the  Officers  .\nd  Men  of  the  "St.  Peter,"  Which  Sailed  from  the 

Harbor  of  St.  Peter  .a.nd  St.  Paul  in  1741.  Who  by  the  Will  of  God 

Died  of  Scurvy  Either  at  Sea  or  on  the  Isl.\nd  Where  We 

Wintered 

The  name  of  each  person  and  the  date  when  he  died  are  noted  below;  and  the 
isla  nd  where  we  wintered,  and  which  has  been  described  above,  we  named  Bering's 
Island. 


Sailor,  2nd  rank 

Nikita  Shumagin 

Aug. 

31. 

1741 

Marine  grenadier 

Andrei  Tretyakov 

Sept. 

24. 

1741 

Marine  soldier 

Alexei  Kiselev 

Oct. 

19. 

1741 

Kamchatka  soldier 

Nikita  Kharitonov 

Oct. 

20, 

1741 

Marine  soldier 

Luka  Zaviakov 

Oct. 

22, 

1741 

Admiralty  cooper 

Stepan  Bogdriev 

Oct. 

28, 

1741 

Soldier  of  the  Siberian 

garrison 

Karp  Pashennoi 

Oct. 

31, 

1741 

Admiralty  carpenter 

Ivan  Petrov 

Nov. 

2, 

1741 

Drummer  of  the  Siberian  garrison 

Osip  Chentsov 

Nov. 

4, 

1741 

Marine  grenadier 

Alexei  Popov 

Nov. 

4, 

1741 

Soldier  of  the  Siberian 

garrison 

Ivan  Davidov 

Nov. 

4. 

1741 

Marine  grenadier 

Ivan  Nebaranov 

Nov. 

5. 

1741 

Boatswain 

Nils  Jansen 

Nov. 

8, 

1741 

Trumpeter 

Mikhael  Toroptsov 

Nov. 

II, 

1741 

Sailor,  ist  rank 

Ivan  Emelianov 

Nov. 

IS. 

1741 

Cannoneer,  2nd  rank 

Ilya  Dergachev 

Nov. 

15, 

1741 

Cadet  of  the  Yakutsk  regiment 

Vasili  Popkov 

Nov. 

i.i. 

1741 

Sailor,  2nd  rank 

Seliverst  Tarakanov 

Nov. 

I.S, 

1741 

Soldier  of  the  Yakutsk  regiment) 

Savin  Stepanov 

Nov. 

16. 

1741 

282  REPORT  ON  VOYAGE  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER" 

Sailor,  ist  rank  Mark  Antipin 

"       "  Semen  Artemev' 

Navigator  Andreyan  Eselberg 

Admiralty  calker  Alexei  Klementev 

Underskipper  Nikita  Khotyaintsov 

Marine  grenadier  Ivan  Tretyakov 

Cannoneer,  2nd  rank  Prokofei  Efintsov 

Marine  soldier  Fedor  Panov 

Ensign  Ivan  Lagunov 
Personal  servants  of  the  officers,  two  men 

Altogether,  with  the  Captain  Commander,  31  men.s 

Lieutenant  Sven  Waxel 

5  His  death  not  mentioned  in  the  log  book. 

s  Waxel  left  out  the  name  of  the  sailor  Nikita  Ovtsin,  who  died  on  November 
19  (see  log  book). 


Nov. 

20, 

1741 

Nov. 

22, 

1741 

Nov. 

22, 

1741 

Dec. 

4. 

1741 

Dec. 

9. 

1741 

Dec. 

17. 

I74I 

Dec. 

27. 

1741 

Jan. 

2, 

1742 

Jan. 

8, 

1742 

CHAPTER  VII 

THE  JOURNAL  OF  CHIRIKOV'S  VESSEL,  THE 
"ST.  PAUL" 

The  second  of  the  two  vessels  that  started  on  June  4,  1741, 
from  Petropavlovsk  on  that  eventful  voyage  was  the  St.  Paul, 
Captain  Alexei  Chirikov  in  command.  The  first-hand  records 
consist  of  a  log  book,  a  daily  journal  of  the  voyage,  and  Captain 
Chirikov's  report  to  the  Admiralty  College  in  St.  Petersburg. 
Of  the  originals  *  in  the  Russian  archives,  a  translation  of  the 
journal  is  given  in  this  chapter  and  of  Captain  Chirikov's 
report  in  the  next  chapter.  It  has  not  been  deemed  necessary 
to  publish  the  log  book,  as,  other  than  routine  navigational  in- 
formation, it  contains  nothing  that  is  not  reported  even  more 
fully,  in  the  journal  and  report.  The  log  book  has,  however,  been 
used  in  plotting  the  track  of  the  St.  Paul  (see  p.  330,  footnote  i). 

Journal  Kept  on  the  Ship  "St.  Palt."  in  Command  of  Captain 

Alexei  Chirikov  At  the  Time  It  Made  the  Voyage  East 

From  the  Kamchatka  Harbor  of  the  Holy  Apostles 

Peter  and  Paul  to  the  Western  Coast  of 

America  in  the  Year  1741 

The  reckoning  begins  from  the  landmark  called  Vaua  at  the  mouth  of 
Avacha  Bay.  situated  in  latitude  52°  53'  north,  longitude  (according  to  the 
observation  taken  recently  by  Professorof  Astronomy  Delislede  la  Croyere) 
127°  5s'  from  the  meridian  of  St.  Petersburg  and  175°  55' from  the  Peak  of 
Teneriffe  Island.  For  our  reckoning  we  take  the  meridian  which  runs 
through  Vaua  as  the  first  meridian.  We  reckon  in  knots,  of  which  there 
are  sixty  to  the  degree.  After  June  4  we  marked  on  the  chart  our  daily 
position  in  latitude  and  longitude,  the  rhumb,  and  the  distance  from  Vaua. 

'  Log  book:  Archives  of  the  Hydrographic  Section  of  the  Ministry  of  Marine, 
Petrograd:   1741-43,  Nos.  645-648.    Another  log  book,  under  1742,  No.   1706. 

Journal:  Archives  of  the  Ministry  of  Marine,  Petrograd:  Papers  of  the  Admiralty 
College,  1743,  No.  16. 

Report:  Archives  of  the  Ministry  of  Marine,  Petrograd:  Papers  of  Captain 
Commander  Bering,  No.  44. 


284  JOURNAL  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL" 

June  4,  1741 
From  Vaua  we  sailed  on  the  rhumb  S50°E,  distance  8.5  knots. 

June  5,  1741 

From  Vaua  rhumb  S68°E. 

Saw  the  St.  Peter,  Captain  Commander  Bering  in  command,  on  the 
rhumb  W  by  S,  5  knots  distant.  We  fired  a  gun  as  a  signal  for  the  Cap- 
tain Commander  to  come  closer  to  us  since  the  wind  was  such  that  we 
could  not  go  to  him.  From  us  it  seemed  that  the  course  sailed  was  more 
southerly  than  agreed  upon.  It  had  been  decided  by  all  the  officers  and 
by  Professor  Delisle  de  la  Croyere  to  sail  SE  by  E  true  compass.  That 
same  hour  the  Captain  Commander  acknowledged  our  signal  by  firing 
a  gun  and  stood  straight  for  us. 

Although  Juan  de  Gama  Land  is  an  island,  consequently  not  a  part 
of  the  American  continent,  yet  we  decided  on  the  course  we  did  because 
our  instructions  called  for  an  examination  of  the  islands  lying  on  the 
way  to  America.  It  was  agreed  in  case  we  failed  to  find  land  in  lati- 
tude 46°  N,  to  sail  steadily  E  by  N  until  we  met  with  success.  If 
on  either  of  the  courses  SE  by  E  or  E  by  N  we  discovered  land  it  was 
our  plan  to  coast  along  it  from  east  to  north  or  north  to  west,  depend- 
ing on  its  position,  but  not  to  follow  it  up  if  it  extended  between  south 
and  east.  In  that  case  we  were  to  leave  it  and  go  east  until  we  came 
across  [other]  land  and  keep  this  in  sight  while  likewise  going  norther- 
ly, to  latitude  65°  or  at  least  as  far  as,  with  the  help  of  God,  the  time 
would  permit.  If  we  reached  latitude  65°  in  good  time  we  planned  to  sail 
due  west  to  the  Chukchi  country  and  in  this  way  determine  the  distance 
between  America  and  Asia  and  when  that  was  accomplished  to  return 
to  this  harbor.  If  on  the  above-mentioned  rhumb  we  should  run  into 
head  winds  then  we  agreed  to  keep  as  close  to  the  rhumb  as  possible 
until,  with  God's  help,  we  discovered  land,  which  we  would  examine 
according  to  the  instructions  of  the  Captain  Commander.  In  planning 
the  voyage  we  had  to  keep  in  mind  that  we  must  return  to  this  harbor 
towards  the  end  of  September.  Although  we  discussed  the  plan  sug- 
gested by  the  Admiralty  College,  before  we  left,  of  sailing  (because  the 
distance  was  supposed  to  be  short)  across  from  the  Chukchi  land  to 
America,  yet  we  did  not  do  so  because  it  was  too  early. 

June  6,  1741 
Latitude  by  observation  52°  02'  N;  from  Vaua.  longitude  1°  57'  3"  E, 
rhumb  SS4°3o'E,  distance  87.9  knots.-' 

'  As  in  the  log  book  of  the  St.  Peter,  the  positions  refer  to  noon  of  the  astronomical 
day.  For  the  difference  between  the  civil  and  the  astronomical  date,  see  foot- 
note 6,  p.  so.      In  the  journal  of  the  Si.  Paul,  however,  the  rhumb  and  distance 


SEARCH  FOR  DE  GAMA  LAND  285 

At  1 :30  in  the  afternoon  the  Captain  Commander,  in  an.swer  to  our 
signal  mentioned  above,  came  close  to  our  ship.  Through  the  speaking 
trumpet  we  told  him  that  we  signaled  because  he  was  on  the  rhumb 
W  by  S,  5  knots  distant,  wind  SW  by  W,  and  that  we  ought  to  keep 
closer  together.  If  we  failed  to  do  so  we  might  become  separated  in 
foggy  weather  and  spend  valuable  time  in  looking  for  one  another,  for 
we  were  on  the  course  agreed  upon  and  the  wind  fair. 

The  same  day  the  Captain  Commander  signaled  for  one  of  our  lieu- 
tenants. Captain  Chirikov  requested  that,  unless  it  was  an  urgent  matter, 
the  communication  should  be  made  through  the  speaking  trumpet,  for 
to  send  a  lieutenant  necessitated  the  lowering  of  a  boat  and  the  loss  of 
time.  It  was  replied  (from  the  St.  Peter)  that  if  we  had  any  communica- 
tion of  importance  to  make  to  the  Captain  Commander  we  should  send 
a  lieutenant;  if  we  had  not  we  need  not  send  him,  and  that  this  was  all 
they  wished  to  tell  us.   After  this  the  signal  was  taken  down. 

June  7,  1741 
Latitude  50°  55';  from  Vaua,  longitude  4°  26'  7",  rhumb  S54°2i'E, 
distance  201.4  knots. 

June  8,  1741 
Latitude  49°   52';   from   Vaua,   longitude   6°   49',   rhumb   S54°4i'E, 
distance  313  knots. 

At  the  fourth  hour  in  the  afternoon  the  Captain  Commander  signaled 
for  our  ship  to  take  the  lead. 

June  g,  1741 
Latitude  by  observation  48°  42';  from  Vaua,  longitude  9°  09'  6", 
rhumb  S54°o8'E,  distance  428.4  knots. 

June  10,  1741 

Latitude  by  observation  47°  45';  from  Vaua,  longitude  10°  53'  9", 
rhumb  S53°33'E,  distance  518  knots. 

At  the  fifth  hour  the  St.  Peter  came  near  us,  and  we  told  them  that  at 
night  we  would  heave  to  in  order  to  take  soundings  and  when  we  did  that 
we  would  hang  a  lantern  at  the  ensign  staff  and  that  they  should  keep 
a  lookout  for  it  and  not  run  into  us. 

from  Vaua  are  reckoned  differently  from  what  they  are  in  the  log  of  the  5^  Peter. 
The  rhumb  is  expressed  as  direction  within  a  quadrant  instead  of  in  points  of  the 
compass,  as  there  (footnote  2.  p.  37);  the  distance,  in  knots,  or  nautical  miles 
(60  to  a  mean  degree  of  latitude),  instead  of  in  German  miles  (15  to  a  degree). 
Comparing  the  entries  for  June  6  and  reducing  them  to  a  common  term,  we  get: 
(i)  rhumb:  St.  Peter,  SE  by  E  3°  30'  E,  or,  in  azimuth,  120°  15';  .S(.  Paul,  854°  30'E, 
or  125°  30';  (2)  distance,  St.  Peter.  25!-^  German  miles,  or  loi  knots;  St.  Paul, 
87.9  knots.    For  the  track  of  the  5/.  Paul  PI.  I  should  be  consulted  throughout. 


286  JOURNAL    OF    THE    "ST.  PAUL" 

June  II,  1741 

Latitude  46°  58';  from  Vaua,  longitude  12°  38'  8".  rhumb  S53°56'E, 
603  knots. 

At  the  sixth  hour  Captain  Commander  signaled  to  wait  for  him  and 
to  do  that  we  hove  to.  At  6:30  we  talked  over  with  him  the  latitude,  the 
longitude,  and  the  distance  from  Vaua.  Proceeded  on  our  course.  It 
was  understood  that  if  in  the  nighttime  we  took  soundings  and  got 
bottom  we  should  fire  a  gun  and  bring  to. 

June  12,  1741 
Latitude  by  observation  46°  05';  from   Vaua,  longitude  13°  35'  5", 
rhumb  S52°2o'E,  distance  667.7  knots. 

June  13, 1741 

Latitude  46°  03';  from  Vaua,  longitude  14°  o'  i",  rhumb  853°  02 'E. 
distance  682  knots. 

At  3:30  in  the  afternoon  we  hove  to  while  the  St.  Peter  came  up  to 
us.  Lieutenant  Waxel,  through  the  speaking  trumpet,  announced  that 
according  to  the  decision  reached  by  the  Captain  Commander,  the 
officers,  and  the  Professor  of  Astronomy,  Delisle  de  la  Croyere,  it  was 
time  to  change  the  rhumb  and  to  sail  E  by  N  by  true  compass.  From 
our  ship  it  was  replied  that  Captain  Chirikov  and  his  officers  agreed  to 
this,  since  the  observations  made  at  noon  [recorded  under  June  12]  gave 
our  position  as  latitude  46°  05'  N,  rhumb  from  Vaua  Ss2°2o'E.  The  con- 
versation ended  by  all  agreeing  to  sail  E  by  N  true  compass.  That  same 
hour  we  looked  from  the  crosstrees  for  land  between  S  and  W,  also  S  and  E, 
but  saw  no  land.    We  filled  our  sails  and  went  on  the  rhumb  agreed  upon, 

June  14,  1741 
Latitude  46°  18';  from  Vaua,  longitude  14°  10'  7',  rhumb  S54°2o'E, 
distance  677  knots 

June  15,  1741 
Latitude  47°  41';  from  Vaua,  longitude  14°  23'  4',  rhumb  S6o°26'E, 
distance  632.3   knots. 

June  16,  1741 

Latitude  47°  55';  from  Vaua,  longitude  14°  39'  1',  rhumb  S6i°58'E, 
distance  634.1   knots. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  fourth  hour  in  the  afternoon  we  came  about 
and  went  on  a  port  tack  in  order  to  get  closer  to  the  Captain  Commander, 
who  was  from  us  SE  by  S,  about  3^'-^  (?)  knots  away.    About  the  middle 


SEPARATION  OF  THE  TWO  VESSELS  287 

of  the  hour  we  shook  out  the  first  reef  in  the  fore-topsail;  at  the  end  of 
the  hour  we  came  about  on  a  starboard  tack. 

At  the  end  of  the  fifth  hour  we  came  up  with  the  St.  Peter.  We  lowered 
the  staysail,  clewed  up  the  foresail,  and  inquired  through  the  speaking 
trumpet  how  far  north  we  should  go  in  case  this  east  wind  held  on  and 
whether  a  signal  would  be  given  us  when  it  was  time  to  put  about.  In 
reply  we  were  told  that  no  changes  would  be  made  without  a  signal.  At 
the  beginning  of  the  eighth  hour  the  Captain  Commander  came  about 
and  so  did  we. 

June  17,  1741 

Latitude  48°  12';  from  Vaua,  longitude  15°  49'  5',  rhumb  S65°o'E, 
distance  665  knots. 

June  18,  1741 

Latitude  48°  53';  from  Vaua,  longitude  17°  30'  05',  rhumb  S7o°04'E, 
distance  704  knots. 

About  the  middle  of  the  fifth  hour  in  the  morning  a  gun  was  fired  from 
the  Si.  Peter  as  a  signal  for  us  to  come  up.  We  brought  to,  since  we  were 
to  the  leeward;  and  in  the  meantime  the  5^  Peter  drew  close  to  us,  and 
Master  Khitrov,  speaking  through  the  trumpet,  informed  us  that  we  were 
now  near  49°  o'  N,  and  that  the  place  on  the  46th  parallel  which  lies 
on  the  agreed  course  from  Vaua  is  now  SKW  from  us;  consequently  we 
should  now  come  about  on  another  tack.  I  replied  that  we  should  [not?] 
come  about  with  the  wind  as  it  stands  because  we  are  now  sailing  NE^jE 
true  compass,  which  course  is  the  same  as  E  by  N  from  the  46th  parallel, 
a  difference  of  2>^  rhumbs.  If  we  came  about  on  another  tack  we  should 
be  sailing  SSW^W,  a  difference  of  iiK  rhumbs,  which  would  lead  us 
far  away  from  our  main  course.  Therefore  I  suggested  that  we  proceed 
on  the  course  we  are  on,  making  use  of  the  north  and  west  winds,  until 
we  had  come  at  least  as  far  as  the  53rd  parallel.  No  reply  was  made  to 
this.   We  filled  our  sails  and  went  our  way. 

June  IQ,  1741 
Latitude  49°  31';  from  Vaua,  longitude  18°  36'  2",  rhumb  S73°53'E, 
distance  727.7  knots. 

June  20,  1741 

Latitude  48°  49';  from  Vaua,  longitude  17°  41'  7',  rhumb  S69°58'E, 
distance  712  knots. 

At  the  third  hour  in  the  morning  the  St.  Peter  was  10  knots  distant;  at 
the  fifth  hour  she  began  to  disappear  from  sight. 

The  spot  where  we  last  saw  the  ship  was  to  the  north,  latitude  48°  59', 
longitude  from  Vaua  18°  o',  distance  10  knots. 


288  JOURNAL  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL" 

June  21,  1741 

Latitude  by  observation  48°  27';  from  Vaua,  longitude  17°  29',  rhumb 
S68°io'E,  distance  716  knots. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  ninth  hour  wind  moderated;  hoisted  mainsail 
and  foresail  and  proceeded  on  our  course;  lowered  main-staysail.  The 
signal  code  which  the  Captain  Commander  gave  us  said  that  in  case  we 
parted  we  should  look  for  one  another  at  the  place  where  we  last  saw 
one  another.  I  gave  the  order  to  steer  as  near  as  possible  for  that  spot, 
but  this  was  difficult  as  it  was  NNE  from  us  and  the  wind  was  dead 
ahead. 

June  22,  1741 

Latitude  48°  06';  from  Vaua,  longitude  18°  37'  8",  rhumb  S67°59'E, 
distance  765  knots. 

June  23,  1 741 

Latitude  48°  15';  from  Vaua,  longitude  20°  20'  3",  rhumb  S70°i5'E. 
distance  823  knots. 

At  the  fifth  hour  in  the  morning  we  gave  up  looking  for  the  St.  Peter 
and  with  the  assent  of  all  the  officers  of  the  St.  Paul  we  went  on  our  way. 

June  24,  1741 
Latitude  by  observation  48°  03';  from  Vaua,  longitude  23°  14',  rhumb 
S7i°53'E,  distance  933  knots. 

June  25,  1 741 
Latitude  48°  22';  from  Vaua,  longitude  26°  24'  2",  rhumb  S74°54'E, 
distance  1,040  knots. 

Jtine  26,  1741 
Latitude  by  observation  48°  11';  from  Vaua,  longitude  29°  14',  rhumb 
S75°48'E,  distance  1,149  knots. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  twelfth  hour  in  the  morning  we  thought  we 
sighted  mountains  between  N  and  NE,  and  to  make  sure  we  steered  NE 
by  compass. 

June  27,  1741 
Latitude  48°  34';  from  Vaua,  longitude  30°  52'  4",  rhumb  S77°32'E, 
distance,  1,200  knots. 

At  the  end  of  the  fourth  hour  in  the  afternoon  we  discovered  that  the 
supposed  mountains  were  clouds  and  therefore  went  back  to  the  regular 
course. 

June  28,  1 74 1 
Latitude  48°  59';  from  Vaua,  longitude  33°  o'  5",  rhumb  S79°24'E, 
distance  1,269  knots. 


EASTW'ARD  COURSE  289 

June  2g,  1741 
Latitude  49°  22'  i";  from  Vaua,  longitude  34°  58'  i",  rhumb  S8o°53'E, 
distance  1,332  knots. 

June  30,  1741 
Latitude  49°  47';  from  Vaua,  longitude  37°  06'  8",  rhumb  S82°24'E, 
distance  1,407  knots. 

July  I,  1 74 1 
Latitude   50°   27';   from  Vaua,   longitude  40°  31',   rhumb  S84°28'E, 
distance  1,514  knots. 

July  2,  1 741 
Latitude  50°  48';  from  Vaua,  longitude  42°  o'  4",  rhumb  S85°24'E, 
distance  1,559  knots. 

July  3,  1 741 
Latitude  50°  50';  from  Vaua,   longitude  42°  06',   rhumb  S85°29'E, 
distance   1,562   knots. 

July  4,  1741 
Latitude  51°  03';  from  Vaua,   longitude  42°  40',   rhumb    S86°oi'E, 
distance  1,584  knots. 

July  5,  1 741 
Latitude  51°  32';  from  Vaua,  longitude  45°  12'  8",  rhumb  S87°i3'E, 
distance  1,668  knots. 

July  6,  1741 
Latitude  51°  58';  from  Vaua,  longitude  47°  :i^'  i",  rhumb  S88°i2'E, 
distance  1,751  knots. 

July  7,  1741 
Latitude  52°   10';   from  Vaua,   longitude  48°  36',   rhumb  S88°37'E, 
distance  1,773  knots. 

At  the  eighth  hour  in  the  evening  we  noticed  considerable  green-look- 
ing vegetation  afloat,  which  we  thought  was  grass,  and  therefore  we 
brought  to  in  order  to  take  soundings.    No  bottom  at  100  fathoms. 

Examined  the  vegetation  and  learned  that  it  was  not  (sea)  grass  but  a 
species  found  in  thick  water  resembling  a  sea  nettle  which  is  washed  ashore 
in  large  quantities. 

July  8,  1 7 41 
Latitude  52°  32';  from  Vaua,   longitude  48°  45',   rhumb    S89°i9'E, 
distance  1,772  knots. 

July  9,  1741 
Latitude  52°  49';  from  Vaua,   longitude  49°  08',   rhumb  S89°5o'E, 
distance  1,782  knots. 


290  JOURNAL  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL" 

July  10,  1741 
Latitude  53°  10';  from  Vaua,   longitude  51°   18',  rhumb  N89°28'E, 
distance  1,852  knots. 

July  II,  1741 
Latitude  53°  21';  from  Vaua,   longitude  52°  04',  rhumb  N89°09'E, 
distance  1,874  knots. 

July  12,  1741 
Latitude  by  observation  54°  27';  from  Vaua,  longitude  55°  16'.  rhumb 
N87°i5'E,  distance  i,959  knots. 
Saw  a  shore  duck  today. 

July  13,  1741 
Latitude  by  observation  54°  41';  from  Vaua,   longitude  58°  03'  5"> 
rhumb  N86°59'E,  distance  2,053  knots. 

Saw  a  shore  duck,  a  gull,  and  two  old  floating  trees. 

July  14,  1 741 

Latitude  55°  09'  6";  from  Vaua,  longitude  60°  41',  rhumb  N86°2i'E, 
distance  2,145  knots. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  first  hour  in  the  morning  we  noticed  near  the 
ship  three  wide  and  long  strips  of  very  white  water.  We  brought  to  and 
took  soundings,  but  no  bottom  at  100  fathoms.  We  drifted  into  the  first 
strip,  which  was  about  half  a  verst  long  and  200  fathoms  wide,  and  later 
into  the  other  strips,  which  were  smaller.  The  color  of  the  water  was 
different,  possibly  owing  to  the  movement  of  a  school  of  fish;  but  we  do 
not  know  for  certain  the  cause  of  it.  As  the  night  was  dark  and  foggy 
we  were  afraid  of  running  ashore  and  therefore  during  the  second  and 
third  hours  we  sailed  by  the  wind  on  the  course  W  by  N  by  the  compass. 

At  the  third  hour  in  the  morning  we  saw  a  large  number  of  shore  ducks, 
gulls,  a  whale,  porpoises,  and  three  medium-sized  pieces  of  driftwood 
that  had  been  in  the  water  for  some  time. 

July  15,  1741 

Latitude  55°  36'  3";  from  Vaua,  longitude  61°  51',  rhumb  N85°42'E' 
distance  2,178  knots. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  fourth  hour  in  the  morning  [i.e.,  3  a.  m.]  we 
sighted  land,  took  its  bearings,  and  went  by  the  wind  on  a  left  tack.  Shook 
out  reef  in  fore-topsail.  At  the  ninth  hour  took  soundings  and  at  60 
fathoms  got  bottom  of  gray  sand.  The  parts  of  the  shore  which  we  saw  to- 
day are  quite  mountainous.  We  took  a  number  of  soundingswithin  three  to 
five  knots  from  shore  and  got  nowhere  less  than  60  fathoms,  bottom  gray 


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Fig.  13 — Facsimile  of  a  page  of  llie  journal  of  the  St.  Paul:  entrii-s  of  July 
10-14  and  first  part  of  July  15,  1741.  the  last  recording  the  discovery  of  land  (for 
text,  see  opposite  page). 


DISCOVERY  OF  LAND:  CAPE  ADDINGTON    291 

sand  and  in  places  small  rocks.    Many  different  kinds  of  ducks  flew  past 
our  ship. 

At  two  in  the  morning  we  distinguished  some  very  high  mountains  and, 
as  the  light  at  the  time  was  not  very  good,  we  brought  to.  An  hour  later 
the  land  stood  out  much  better  and  we  could  make  out  trees.  This  must 
be  America,  judging  by  the  latitude  and  the  longitude,  for  we  were  at  that 
hour  in  latitude  55°2i'  N  and  longitude  from  Vaua6i°55'.  From  this  place 
we  took  the  following  bearings  according  to  the  corrected  compass:  in  the 
south  the  land  seemed  to  end  in  S36°i9'E,  distant  about  30  knots;  the 
shore  nearest  to  us  had  three  projections  in  N72°4i'E;  the  cape'  ending 
in  the  north  bore  Ni9°4i'E.  From  the  third  hour  proceeded  N^W  8 
knots.  At  5 :30  in  the  morning  the  three  projections  were  on  the  rhumb 
S70°I9'E;  the  cape  which  seemed  to  end  in  the  north  was  on  the  rhumb 
N34°4i'E.  We  examined  the  newly  discovered  coast  to  the  north;  the 
low  cape  was  on  the  rhumb  N39°22'E;  at  8:30  in  the  morning  the  coast 
seemed  to  end  in  N33°o'W.< 

July  16,  1 741 

Latitude  by  observation  56°  15';  from  Vaua,  longitude  60°  57'  2", 
rhumb  N84''48'E,  distance  2,140  knots. 

At  the  fourth  hour  in  the  afternoon  we  lowered  a  boat  and  sent  boat- 
swain Trubitsin  and  eight  men  to  the  bay  sighted  an  hour  and  a  half  ago. 
When  he  reached  there  he  had  orders  to  take  soundings  and  to  examine 
it  to  see  whether  it  offered  good  anchorage  and  protection  from  the  winds. 
He  was  told  to  keep  an  eye  on  our  ensign  flagstaff  and  to  listen  for  guns 
signaling  for  him  to  return  to  the  ship.  At  6 :30  in  the  afternoon  we  saw  our 
boat  near  the  shore;  we  came  about  so  as  to  get  closer  to  it  and  hove  to. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  eighth  hour  the  boat  came  back  and  we  took 
it  in  tow  and  stood  off.  Trubitsin  reported  that  he  took  soundings  within 
60  fathoms  of  the  cape  and  got  40  fathoms  and  that  the  bay  was  unpro- 
tected from  south  and  west  winds.  He  said  also  that  he  saw  large  fir, 
spruce,  and  pine  trees  on  the  beach,  many  sea  lions  on  the  rocks,  but  no 
sign  of  human  beings  or  their  habitations.  At  the  seventh  hour  in  the 
morning  there  was  an  endless  flight  of  large  flocks  of  birds  past  the  ship, 
the  same  species  that  are  found  in  Kamchatka  and  known  as  am  and 
urili  [murres  and  cormorants]. 

At  noon  we  were  from  seven  to  three  knots  from  shore,  depth  of  water 

3  Cape  Addington.  (Identifications  in  this  and  the  next  chapter  by  E.  P.  B.) 
*  Coronation  Island. — [The  lack  of  chronological  sequence  in  the  entry  under 
July  IS  may  be  due  to  the  fact  that  the  first  paragraph  is  a  general  summary  of  the 
events  of  the  day,  while  the  second  paragraph  takes  tficm  up  in  detail.  To  this 
may  also  be  due  the  seeming  discrepancy  in  the  hour  when  land  was  first  sighted. 
At  2  A.  M.  the  mountain  tops  were  first  seen;  at  3  A.  M.  the  coast  itself  became 
visible. — Edit.  Note.] 


292  JOURNAL  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL" 

from  60  to  62  fathoms.    Observed  many  ducks  and  gulls  of  different 
species,  also  sea  animals — whales,  sea  lions,  and  walrus. 

At  the  ninth  hour  in  the  morning  the  cape  to  which  Trubitsin  was  sent 
bore  -S  by  E^E,  distant  three  knots.  About  the  middle  of  the  hour 
[ninth]  we  sighted  on  the  rhumb  E  by  SKE,  distant  six  knots,  three  small 
islets*  close  to  one  another  and  right  up  against  the  shore  or  very  close 
to  it,  for  we  could  not  see  clearly  because  of  the  fog.  At  end  of  the  tenth 
hour  land^  loomed  up  through  the  fog  on  the  rhumb  N  by  E^E  or 
almost  ENE,  but  the  fog  came  down  again  and  hid  it.  We  took  sound- 
ings, no  bottom.    Proceeded  on  our  course. 

At  noon'  we  caught  sight  through  the  fog  of  a  very  mountainous  land 
on  the  rhumb  N^E,  distant  not  more  than  three  knots,  which  stretched 
from  NW34;W  to  SEJ^"!!;.  We  sailed  parallel  to  it,  keeping  it  on  the  east 
from  three  to  five  knots. 

July  17,  1741 

Latitude  by  observation  57°  39';  from  Vaua,  longitude  58°  54'  2', 
rhumb  N82°43'E,  distance  2,059  knots. 

About  the  middle  of  the  sixth  hour  in  the  afternoon  the  fog  began  to 
clear  and  we  caught  sight  of  the  coast  parallel  to  which  we  were  running. 
At  the  seventh  hour  we  took  soundings,  depth  75  fathoms.  At  the  tenth 
hour  in  the  morning  lowered  the  boat  for  the  purpose  of  sending  it 
ashore.  From  the  first  to  the  ninth  hour  in  the  afternoon  we  went 
parallel  to  the  shore,  having  it  to  the  east  of  us  about  three  or  four  knots 
distant.  The  land  was  full  of  mountains,  some  covered  with  snow  and  all 
with  trees.  At  the  eighth  hour  in  the  evening  the  coast  seemed  to  end* 
in  N^E,  distant  8  knots;  and  in  its  place  appeared  low  land  with  sea 
cliffs,  with  the  high  mountains  receding  in  the  background.  At  the  ninth 
hour  in  the  morning  the  coast  parallel  to  which  we  were  sailing  ended' 
in  NNW>iW,  distant  30  knots.  Behind  us  there  was  a  cape'"  in  SE 
by  SXE,  distant  45  knots. 

At  noon"  the  cape  which  we  saw  at  the  ninth  hour  in  NNW>4  W  {sic\, 
distant  30  knots,  is  now  on  that  same  rhumb,  distant  19  knots. 

July  18,  1741 

At  3:30  in  the  afternoon  we  went  as  close  to  the  shore  as  we  dared. 

We  sent  the  boat  ashore  in  charge  of  Fleet  Master  Dementiev  who  had 

with  him  ten  armed  men.    He  took  with  him  a  hand  compass,  a  small 

lead,  two  empty  water  casks,  a  grapnel,  and  a  cable.    He  had  written 

•  Hazy  Islands. 

•  Cape  Ommaney. 

'  Close  to  Puffin  Point,  just  north  of  Cape  Ommaney. 
8  The  south  shores  of  Sitka  Sound. 

•  Cape  Cross. 

'"  Cape  Exigecumbe. 

"  At  noon  the  5/.  Paul  was  off  Cape  Eklward. 


LANDING  IN  LISIANSKI  STR.\IT  293 

orders;  and  among  other  things  he  was  told  to  make  for  the  opening  " 
which  seemed  to  us  a  bay  and  to  take  its  bearings.  The  position  of  the 
bay  and  other  details  relating  to  it  are  recorded  in  their  places  so  that 
it  can  be  more  easily  identified. 

At  the  eighth  hour  in  the  afternoon  we  sighted  a  low  shore  in  N  by 
E^E,  distant  7  knots,  which  stretched  to  SE  and  SE  by  E.  The  bear- 
ings of  the  place  into  which  the  boat  was  sent  we  did  not  see. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  fifth  hour  in  the  afternoon  the  second  mountain, 
behind  which  is  another  broad  mountain  covered  with  snow,  is  in  NEJ^E; 
the  bay  into  which  the  boat  was  ordered  bears  NNE^E,  distant  5 
knots.  There  is  still  another  mountain  with  a  sharp  peak,  somewhat 
crooked  on  the  right  side;  and,  when  you  look  at  it,  it  is  in  ENE^E; 
opposite,  or  a  little  south  of  it,  is  a  small  island  or  a  piece  of  rather  low 
land  covered  with  medium-sized  trees.  North  of  this  island  and  opposite 
the  bay  were  seen  m  places  projections  of  bare  rocks. 

At  the  end  of  the  day  we  saw  high  snow-covered  mountains  extending 
to  the  northward  and  ending  in  NW  by  N. 

According  to  the  reckoning  at  4:30  in  the  afternoon,  taking  into  con- 
sideration the  bearing  of  the  bay,  we  set  down  the  position  of  the  bay 
into  which  the  boat  was  sent  as  latitude  57°  23'  N,  longitude  from  \"aua 
59°  36',  distance  2,059  knots,  rhumb  N82°28'E;  by  correction  the  lati- 
tude is  57°  50',  longitude  58°54'. 

From  this  place  we  again  started  a  new  reckoning,  because  for  some 
time  after  July  17  we  beat  up  and  down  the  bay  so  as  not  to  get  too  far 
from  it;  but  the  strong  winds  and  tides  carried  us  out  20,  30,  and  more 
knots. 

July  19,  1741 

At  the  third  hour  in  the  afternoon  took  the  bearings  cf  a  round,  forested 
volcano;  below  it  was  a  low,  thick,  dark  green  forest  on  a  white  cliff  in 
NEKE;  the  white  cliff  was  distant  about  6  knots.  Another  volcano  to 
the  left  of  it  and  smaller  was  in  NE  by  N>:(E,  some  distance  from  shore; 
a  high  bare  cape  covered  with  a  clump  of  high  trees  in  SSE^E,  distant 
12  knots. 

At  the  middle  of  the  fifth  hour  in  the  afternoon  we  saw  a  mountain  in 
NE  by  N^E,  distant  30  knots,  another  in  NNE^^^E,  distant  32  knots; 
after  this  we  saw  no  more  land  to  the  north  beyond  the  high  mountain 
which  is  in  N^i W,  distant  30  knots;  then  the  mountain  was  N  by  Wf^W, 
distant  40  knots.  From  this  hour  we  observed  lower  ground  through  the 
cape  in  E  by  SJ4E,  opposite  which  we  supposed  our  boat  had  gone  into 
the  bay. 

12  The  St.  Paul  was  off  Lisianski  Strait. 


294  JOURNAL  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL" 

At  the  eighth  hour  in  the  afternoon  we  saw  a  high  bare  cape  which  at 
the  third  hour  bore  SSE^E,  distant  12  knots;  now  it  bears  SE  by  S>^E, 
15  knots. 

At  the  fourth  hour  in  the  morning  we  saw  that  the  small  far-away  cape 
which  at  the  eighth  hour  bore  SE  by  S^E  now  bears  SE><E,  distant  25 
knots;  the  mountain  which  at  the  fifth  hour  bore  N  by  E><E,  24  knots, 
is  now  NEKE,  12  knots.    Now  the  mountains  extend  N^W. 

July  20,  1741 
During  the  twenty-four  hours  the  wind  shifted  about;  it  was  foggy, 
cloudy,  rainy.   The  heavy  wind  and  rain  carried  us  away  from  the  place 
where  the  boat  had  gone  and  from  which  it  had  not  yet  returned. 

July  21,  1741 
Boat  has  not  yet  returned.    We  worked  hard  to  come  closer  to  the 
place  to  which  it  had  gone. 

July  22,  1741 
No  boat.   We  went  near  the  place  into  which  it  had  been  ordered. 

July  23,  1 7 41 

From  about  the  first  hour  in  the  afternoon  we  kept  parallel  to  the 
coast  and,  according  to  our  opinion,  close  to  the  place  where  the  boat 
went ;  but  owing  to  the  heavy  fog  we  could  not  identify  the  landmarks. 

At  the  second  hour  we  thought  we  were  opposite  the  exact  spot  where 
the  boat  was,  and  to  summon  it  we  fired  two  guns.  Depth  of  water  70, 
75,  and  80  fathoms;  bottom  of  sand  and  large  rocks. 

At  the  fourth  hour  the  fog  lifted  a  little  and  we  noticed  smoke  on  the 
beach  E  by  NKE,  5  knots,  and  we  supposed  that  it  was  made  by  our 
men  because  during  all  the  time  that  we  followed  the  shore  we  saw  no 
human  habitations,  no  boats,  and  no  fires.  Took  soundings  and  got 
80  fathoms. 

At  the  seventh  hour  wind  very  light,  and  the  air  clear  from  fog,  and 
the  landmarks  of  the  place  into  which  the  boat  was  sent  stood  out.  The 
fire  burned  in  the  very  place  into  which  the  boat  went,  and  we  took  it 
for  granted  that  it  was  kept  up  by  our  men,  and  we  fired  seven  times 
at  intervals  as  a  signal  for  them  to  come  out;  but  no  boat  appeared, 
although  the  weather  was  fair.  We  noticed,  however,  that  after  we  sig- 
nalled the  fire  on  the  beach  grew  bigger. 

At  the  tenth  hour  in  the  evening  we  hung  out  a  lantern  at  the  ensign 
staff  so  that  the  boat  might  see  us  if  it  came  out. 

Midnight.    The  fire  on  the  beach  bore  ENE^E. 

At  the  ninth  hour  in  the  morning  no  fire  on  shore;  half  hour  later  a 
little  smoke  in  ENE^E,  and  then  it  again  became  invisible. 


FAILURE  OF  PARTIES  TO  RETURN  295 

At  the  eleventh  hour  a  walrus  swam  past  the  ship.  At  the  middle  of 
the  twelfth  hour  lowered  the  small  boat  for  the  purpose  of  sending  it 
ashore  to  help  the  men  in  the  large  boat. 

Noon.  The  place  into  which  the  boat  was  sent  bore  ENEKE,  9 
knots. 

No  boat,  although  we  sailed  close  up  to  the  place  into  which  it  went. 

July  24,  1741 

The  weather  was  fair  enough  for  a  considerable  length  of  time  for  the 
boat  to  come  out;  since  it  did  not  appear  we  concluded  that  it  must  be 
damaged  and  could  not.  All  the  officers,  higher  and  lower,  were  of  the 
opinion  (which  they  put  in  writing)  that  it  was  necessary  to  find  out 
what  was  the  matter  with  the  boat  and  for  that  purpose  to  send,  while 
the  sea  was  quiet,  the  small  boat  with  a  carpenter  and  a  calker  with  the 
necessary  tools  to  repair  the  boat,  as  well  as  provisions,  since  those 
ashore  had  only  enough  for  a  week.  Boatswain  Sidor  Savelev  volun- 
teered to  take  the  mechanics  ashore,  and  the  sailor  Sidor  Fadiev,  who 
expressed  a  desire  to  go  along,  was  detailed  to  accompany  them.  The 
carpenter's  name  was  Nariazhev  Polkovnikov  and  the  calker's  was 
Gorin.  They  left  at  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  we,  having  a 
light  wind,  followed  them  to  shore.  The  boatswain  had  orders  that  as 
soon  as  he  landed  he  should  build  a  fire  to  notify  us  of  his  arrival  and  to 
signal  the  condition  of  the  men  and  the  boat.  He  was  ordered  to  leave 
ashore  the  carpenter  and  the  calker  to  repair  the  boat,  but  he  himself 
was  to  return  without  delay  to  the  ship  with  Dementiev  and  as  many 
others  as  he  could  accommodate.  We  sailed  up  quite  close  to  the  land, 
on  which  a  heavy  sea  was  running,  so  that  we  had  difficulty  in  getting 
away,  for  the  sails  made  little  headway  against  the  sea.  We  saw  the 
boatswain  near  the  shore  in  the  sixth  hour  of  the  afternoon;  but  he  made 
no  signals  and,  although  the  weather  was  fair,  did  not  come  back. 

In  the  fifth  hour  we  brought  to  in  order  to  wait  for  the  two  boats;  we 
watched  for  signals  but  in  vain;  we  took  soundings  and  got  65  fathoms 
and  a  bottom  of  big  rocks.  For  two  or  three  versts  from  shore  the 
water  was  70,  65,  and  60  fathoms,  and  the  bottom  bad.  Many  rocks 
were  seen  both  under  and  above  water  on  which  the  surf  was  playing. 
For  these  reasons  we  could  not  anchor. 

At  the  seventh  hour  we  came  about  and  moved  away  from  shore 
because  we  had  no  signals  from  the  boatswain  and  the  men. 

At  the  ninth  hour  we  steered  for  the  shore  to  watch  for  signals.  Half 
an  hour  later  we  were  so  close  to  shore  that  we  could  see  the  rocks  and 
the  surf  playing  on  them,  but  no  signals.  Because  it  was  night  we  decided 
to  go  a  little  farther  from  land.  The  place  where  the  two  boats  went 
bore  NEf4E,  3  knots.  We  fired  a  gun  as  a  summons  to  the  men  ashore; 
at  the  time  there  was  hardly  any  wind,  the  ship  was  making  almost  no 


296  JOURNAL  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL" 

headway,  and  those  ashore  had  the  weather  in  their  favor  for  coming 
out.  As  we  fired  from  our  cannon  we  thought  we  saw  some  one  on  shore 
shooting  a  gun,  but  we  heard  no  noise.  We  observed  also  a  fire  on  the 
beach  as  if  in  answer  to  us.   We  fired  another  gun. 

At  the  ninth  hour  in  the  evening  we  observed  fire  on  the  beach.  Took 
soundings,  66  fathoms;  very  Httle  wind.  We  hung  out  two  lanterns,  one 
at  the  ensign  staff  and  the  other  at  the  gaff.  The  fire  on  the  beach 
appeared  and  disappeared  by  turns. 

At  the  first  hour  in  the  afternoon  we  saw  the  fire. 

At  the  third  hour  we  fired  guns  to  summon  the  boats. 

At  the  fourth  hour  we  fired  guns. 

At  the  tenth,  eleventh,  and  twelfth  hours  we  tacked  close  to  the  place 
into  which  the  boats  had  gone.    Our  position  is  latitude  57°  51'  N. 

July  25,  1 741 

Latitude  by  observation  57°  50'  6';  from  Vaua,  longitude  57°  10'  2", 
rhumb  N82°35'E,  distance  2,007  knots. 

First  hour.  We  noticed  two  boats  rowing  from  the  bay  into  which  our 
boats  had  gone;  one  of  them  was  large,  and  the  other  small.  We  naturally 
thought  they  were  our  boats,  and  we  stood  towards  them.  There  was 
very  little  wind  stirring,  and  I  ordered  that  the  sails  be  taken  in  and  the 
shrouds  tightened[?].  When  the  small  boat  drew  close  to  us  we  became 
aware  that  it  was  not  our  boat,  for  it  had  a  sharp  bow,  and  that  those  in 
it  did  not  row  with  oars  but  paddled.  The  boat  did  not,  however,  come 
near  enough  so  that  we  could  see  the  faces  of  those  in  it.  All  that  we  did 
see  was  that  it  contained  four  persons,  one  at  the  stern  and  the  others  at 
the  paddle.  One  of  them  had  on  clothes  of  red  material.  Being  that  far 
away  they  stood  up  and  shouted  twice  "Agai,  Agai,"  waved  their  hands, 
and  turned  back  to  shore.  I  commanded  my  men  to  wave  white  kerchiefs 
and  to  invite  those  in  the  boat  to  come  to  our  ship.  Many  of  my  men  did 
that  but  it  did  no  good;  the  boat  proceeded  on  its  way  to  shore.  We 
could  not  pursue  them  because  in  the  first  place  we  had  no  wind,  in  the 
second  place  the  small  boat  went  very  fast,  and  the  large  one  had  stopped 
a  considerable  distance  from  us.  They  continued  to  pull  away  and 
finally  disappeared  in  the  bay  from  which  they  had  come.  We  then  be- 
came convinced  that  some  misfortune  had  happened  to  our  men, '^a  fQj-  jt 
was  the  eighth  day  since  the  Fleet  Master  had  left;  during  that  period 
there  was  plenty  of  fine  weather  for  returning,  and  we  had  sailed  quite 
close  to  the  place,  and  yet  he  did  not  appear.  Since  the  boatswain  had 
gone  we  had  not  been  away  from  the  place,  the  weather  had  been  fair, 
and  if  a  misfortune  had  not  overtaken  them  they  would  have  returned. 
The  fact  that  the  Americans  did  not  dare  to  approach  our  ship  leads  us 
to  believe  that  they  have  either  killed  or  detained  our  men.    We  re- 

'2a  See  note  on  p.  311. 


START  OX  RETURN  VOYAGE        297 

mained  close  to  the  place  until  evening,  hoping  that  our  boats  would 
come  out.  Towards  evening,  however,  we  had  to  keep  away  from  shore 
because  of  the  danger. 

At  the  fourth  hour  in  the  afternoon  we  came  about  and  steered  for 
shore  where  we  observed  a  fire,  also  two  boats  which  came  out  and, 
after  keeping  close  to  land,  put  back  and  disappeared.  This  is  the  last 
of  boats  and  signals  that  we  saw,  except  on  the  spot  where  we  formerly 
observed  fire  we  now  had  smoke. 

Ninth  hour  in  the  afternoon.  Because  of  the  night  we  took  a  reef  in 
the  topsails.  There  were  neither  signals  nor  fires  on  shore.  We  hung  out 
a  lantern  on  the  ensign  staff  so  that,  if,  against  all  hope,  our  boats  should 
come,  they  could  find  us. 

This  day  we  began  again  our  reckoning.  The  bay  into  which  the  boats 
were  sent  is  in  latitude  57°  50'  N,  longitude  58°  54'. 

July  26,  1741 

Latitude  by  observation  58°  21'  5';  from  Vaua,  longitude  57°  7'. 
rhumb  N8o°42'E,  distance  1,954  knots. 

At  the  fourth  hour  in  the  afternoon  we  saw  large  quantities  of  grass, 
the  kind  that  grows  near  the  beach. 

At  noon  we  saw  high,  snow-covered  mountains"  on  the  land  ending  in 
the  north,  bearing  Nf^E,  40  knots. 

July  27,  1741 

Latitude  by  observation  58°  37'  3';  from  Vaua,  longitude  54°  11'  4", 
rhumb  N8o°23'E,  distance  1,862  knots. 

At  the  first  hour  in  the  afternoon  Captain  Chirikov,  Lieutenants 
Chikhachev  and  \'range.  Navigators  Michael  Plautin  and  Elagin  came 
to  the  following  decision,  which  they  put  in  writing:  Owing  to  the  fact 
that  there  were  no  small  boats  by  the  help  of  which  the  shore  could  be 
examined  and  water  brought  aboard  (of  which  there  were  only  45  casks 
left)  it  would  be  better  to  go  straight  to  the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St. 
Paul,  in  Avacha  Bay  in  eastern  Kamchatka. 

Ninth  hour.  Wind  strong;  cloudy,  rainy.  Ordered  the  crew  to  catch 
the  rain  water  from  the  sails  for  drinking  purposes,  for  even  before  this 
the  men  made  use  of  it  without  being  obliged  to  do  so,  and  no  harm 
came  to  them.  Considering  the  distance  we  were  from  port  the  amount 
of  water  on  hand  was  far  too  little,  and  therefore  I  commanded  that  it 
should  be  rationed  out  to  the  crew. 

July  28,  1 7 41 
Latitude  by  observation  58°  54';  from  Vaua,  longitude  52°  57',  rhumb 
N78°47'E,  distance  1,815  knots. 

"  Mt.  Fairweather. 


298  JOURNAL  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL" 

Jidy  20,  1 741 

Latitude  59°  05'  6";  from  Vaua,  longitude  51°  38'  4",  rhumb  N77°52'E, 
distance  1,773  knots. 

During  the  day  we  saw  many  shore  ducks  and  gulls,  which  indicated 
that  there  is  land  not  far  from  us  to  the  north;  but  owing  to  the  fog  and 
the  gloomy  weather  it  could  not  be  seen. 

July  30,  1741 

Latitude  58°  25';  from  Vaua,  longitude  47°  32',  rhumb  N78°i9'E, 
distance  1,640  knots. 

Saw  one  shore  duck. 

July  31,  17 41 

Latitude  58°  38'  7";  from  Vaua,  longitude  45°  52',  rhumb  N77°24'E, 
distance  1,587  knots. 

During  the  day  we  saw  many  shore  ducks  and  gulls,  a  little  sea  cabbage, 
water  of  greenish  color — all  of  which  go  to  show  that  land  is  not  far  from 
us  to  the  north.  The  reason  we  did  not  see  it  was  due  either  to  the 
atmosphere  or  to  the  lowness  of  the  shore. 

August  I,  1741 

Latitude  by  observation  58°  46';  from  Vaua,  longitude  45°  21',  rhumb 
N76°58'E,  distance  1,565  knots. 

At  the  fifth  hour  sighted  land  in  N  by  W,  30  knots;  it  ended  NNW 
about  18  knots.    A  walrus  dived  near  the  ship. 

At  noon  land  ended"  in  WNW^W,  50  knots;  northern  ending 
N  by  EKE,  about  30  knots;  middle  of  it  NNW>^W,  20  knots.  There 
were  high,  snow-covered  mountains  on  the  land.  During  the  day  flocks 
of  shore  ducks  and  gulls  were  seen  on  the  wing. 

August  2,  1741 

Latitude  58°  24';  from  Vaua,  longitude  45°  12',  rhumb  N77°47'E, 
distance  1,564  knots. 

At  noon  the  land  in  the  west  seemed  to  end  in  W,  65  knots,  with  high, 
snow-covered  mountains. '*   Saw  flying  ducks  and  gulls. 

August  3,  1 741 

Latitude  by  observation  57°  37';  from  Vaua,  longitude  44°  49',  rhumb 
N79°29'E,  distance  1,556  knots. 

During  the  day  many  flocks  of  gulls  flew  over  us,  also  red-billed  ducks 
and  another  species  with  white  bellies  and  white  under  wings.  Sand- 
pipers (kuliki)  came  on  board,  sea  animals  swam  alongside  of  us. 

"  Cape  Elizabeth,  the  southwestern  end  of  Kenai  Peninsula. 
"  Probably  northern  end  of  Afognak  Island,  with  Mt.  Douglas  back  of  it  on  the 
mainland. 


LANDFALLS:  KENAI  AND  KODIAK  299 

August  4,  1741 
Latitude  57°  10';  from  Vaua,  longitude  45°  07'.  rhumb  N8o°34'E, 
distance  1,575  knots. 
Saw  many  whales. 

August  5,  1741 
Latitude  56°  49'  4";  from  Vaua,  longitude  43°  41',  rhumb  N8i°o5'E, 
distance  1,525  knots. 

Numerous  flocks  of  birds  were  in  the  air,  the  color  of  the  water  was  not 
altogether  like  the  sea,  and  therefore  we  concluded  that  land  must  be 
near,  hidden  by  the  fog. 

August  6,  1 741 
Latitude  56°  32'  4';  from  Vaua,  longitude  44°  15',  rhumb  N8i°5i'E, 
distance  1,542  knots. 
Did  not  see  land. 

August  7,  1741 
Latitude  56°  31'  4';  from  Vaua,  longitude  44°  20',  rhumb  N8i°55'E, 
distance  1,533  knots. 

August  8,  1 7 41 
Latitude  55°  57'  7';  from  Vaua,  longitude  44°  32',  rhumb  N83°i3'E, 
distance  1,564  knots. 

August  0,  1 74 1 
Latitude  55°  01'  7";  from  Vaua,  longitude  44°  03',  rhumb  N85°  15'E, 
distance  1,554  knots. 

August  10,  1741 
Latitude  by  observation  54°  01';  from  Vaua,  longitude  42°  21',  rhumb 
N87°2o'E,  distance  1,513  knots. 

August  II,  1741 
Latitude  53°  20';  from  Vaua,   longitude  41°  25',  rhumb   N88°58'E, 
distance  1.492  knots. 

Saw  many  whales  near  the  ship  and  in  the  distance. 

August  12,  17  41 
Latitude  53°  08';  from  Vaua,  longitude  40°  52',  rhumb  from  N89°2S'E, 
distance  1,475  knots. 

Saw  many  whales  near  the  ship  and  in  the  distance. 

August  13,  1 7 41 
Latitude  53°  16';  from  Vaua,  longitude  40°  23',  rhumb  N89°o6'E,  dis- 
tance 1,456  knots. 


300  JOURNAL  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL" 

August  14,  1741 
Latitude  52°  32'  4";  from  Vaua,  longitude  39°  30',  rhumb  889°! I'E, 
distance  1,436  knots. 

August  15,  1741 
Latitude  52°  24';  from  Vaua,   longitude  38°  37',   rhumb  S88°49'E, 
distance  1,418  knots. 

Saw  one  shore  duck — the  kind  that  lives  on  the  rocks. 

August  16,  1741 

Latitude  52°  31';  from  Vaua,  longitude  38°  43',  rhumb  S89°o6'E, 
distance   1,408   knots. 

Saw  three  shore  gulls,  which  looked  like  sea  terns,  and  one  fur  seal 
that  dived  near  the  ship. 

August  17,  1 741 
Latitude  53°   10';  from  Vaua,  longitude  37°  56',  rhumb  N89°i7'E, 
distance  1,369  knots. 

Saw  one  large  shore  duck. 

August  18,  1741 
Latitude  by  observation  52°  30';  from  Vaua,  longitude  37°  32'  4", 
rhumb  S89°02'E,  distance  1,363  knots. 

August  iQ,  1741 
Latitude  52°  15';  from  Vaua,  longitude  36°  39'  i",  rhumb  S88°  22'E. 
distance  1,337  knots. 

August  20,  1 741 
Latitude  52°  01';  from  Vaua,   longitude  35°  43',   rhumb  S87°43'E, 
distance    1,306   knots. 

Saw  one  shore  duck  and  one  fur  seal  which  dived  near  the  ship. 

August  21,  1741 
Latitude  51°  35';  from  Vaua,   longitude  34°  50',   rhumb  S86°3i'E, 
distance    1,284  knots. 
Saw  two  shore  gulls. 

August  22,  1741 
Latitude  52°i6',  from  Vaua,  longitude  34°  42',  rhumb  S88°2o'E,  dis- 
tance  1,266  knots. 

Saw  one  large  shore  gull  and  a  large  root  of  sea  cabbage. 


WESTWARD  COURSE  301 

August  23,  1 741 
Latitude  52°i5';  from  Vaua.  longitude  34°  23'.  rhumb  S88°i6'E.  dis- 
tance 1,254  knots. 

Saw  a  shore  duck  and  floating  grass. 

August  24,  1 74 1 
Latitude  52°  23'  6";  from  Vaua,  longitude  33°  42'.  rhumb  S89°2i'E, 
distance  1,228  knots. 

Saw  floating  green  grass — the  kind  that  grows  near  shore. 

August  25,  1741 
Latitude  52°  o';  from  Vaua,  longitude  34°  20',  rhumb  S87°35'E,  dis- 
tance 1,256  knots. 

Saw  plenty  of  floating  grass  near  the  ship. 

August  26,  1 741 
Latitude  51°  58';  from  Vaua,   longitude  34°  26',   rhumb  S87°3o'E, 
distance  1,260  knots. 

August  27,  1741 

Latitude  52°  03';  from  Vaua,  longitude  34°  33'  2",  rhumb  S87°4S'E, 
distance   1,263   knots. 

August  28,  1 74 1 

Latitude  51°  48';  from  Vaua,  longitude  34°  15',  rhumb  S87°02'E,  dis- 
tance 1,256  knots. 

Saw  about  ten  white  shore  gulls. 

August  2Q,  1741 
Latitude  52°  05'  9';  from  Vaua,  longitude  33°  55',  rhumb  S87°5o'E, 
distance  1,239  knots. 

August  30,  1741 

Latitude  by  observation  52°  21';  from  Vaua,  longitude  33°  52',  rhumb 
S88°3i'E,  distance  1,233  knots. 

August  31,  J 74 1 
Latitude  52°  36';  from  Vaua,   longitude  31°   18',   rhumb  S89°oq'E, 
distance    1,138   knot«. 

An  old,  somewhat  dried-up  tree  floated  past  us;  we  saw  also  one  red- 
billed  duck 

September  i,  1741 

Latitude  52°  52';  from  Vaua,  longitude  26°  39',   rhumb  E,  distance 
965.3  knots. 


302  JOURNAL  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL" 

September  2,  1741 

Latitude  52°  47'  5";  from  Vaua,  longitude  23°  44',  rhumb  S E, 

distance  860.3  knots. 

September  3,  17 41 

Latitude  52°  21'  5";  from  Vaua,  longitude  23°  18',  rhumb  S87°53'E, 
distance  849  knots. 

September  4,  1741 

Latitude  by  observation  52°  23';  from  Vaua,  longitude  21°  10',  rhumb 
S88°i9'E,  distance  770  knots. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  seventh  hour  in  the  morning  we  sighted  land 
ahead  of  us  and  a  little  to  the  left,  but  owing  to  the  mist  we  could  not 
observe  it  carefully.  At  noon  the  land'^  which  we  sighted  at  the  seventh 
hour  appears  now  NE  by  N,  40  knots,  N  by  EKE,  30  knots;  mountains 
(not  very  high)  in  NNW,  25  knots;  high  land,  on  which  there  are  several 
high  peaks,  in  NNW^W,  25  knots;  a  large  round,  snow-covered 
volcano  NW  by  N^W;  the  land  ends  W  by  NJ^W,  distant  about  50 
knots.  Sailed  past  a  dead  whale  on  which  were  many  sea  birds  called 
fulmars." 

September  5,  17 41 

Latitude  by  observation  51°  53';  from  Vaua,  longitude  19°  55',  rhumb 
S85°22'E,  distance  730.4  knots. 

September  6,  17 41 
Latitude  51°  29';  from  Vaua,   longitude    18°  58',  rhumb  S83°o8'E, 
distance  702.5  knots. 

September  7,  1741 
Latitude  51°  23';  from  Vaua,   longitude   16°  29',  rhumb    S8i°34'E, 
distance  613.7  knots. 

September  8,  1741 

Latitude  51°  36';  from  Vaua,  longitude  12°  20',  rhumb  S8o°2i'E, 
distance  459.4  knots. 

From  six  in  the  morning  until  noon  we  saw  floating  sea  cabbage,  also 
many  shore  ducks  and  gulls  flying. 

September  Q,  1741 

Latitude  by  observation  51°  40';  from  Vaua,  longitude  11°  28'  5", 
rhumb  S79°39'E,  distance  429  knots. 

At  the  ninth  hour  in  the  evening  paid  out  75  fathoms  of  cable.  Took 
soundings,  25  fathoms;  bottom  fine  gray  sand.    Heard  the  breaking  of 

!•  Islands  of  Four  Mountains. 

n  Procellaria  glacialis  glupischa  Stejneger 


MEETING  WITH  NATIVES  ON  ADAK  303 

the  surf  on  the  beach  to  the  SW,  but  owing  to  the  mist  we  could  not  see 
the  land. 

At  the  ninth  hour  in  the  morning  the  fog  lifted  a  bit,  and  we  saw  the 
shore'*  about  200  fathoms  away.  High,  snow-covered  mountains  and 
tall  green  grass  were  seen,  but  no  trees.  In  places  cliffs  came  down  to 
the  very  sea,  and  close  to  the  shore  were  many  rocks  above  and  below 
the  water.  We  caught  sight  of  two  men  walking  through  the  grass  across 
the  hills  from  north  to  south.  They  were  close  to  a  high  hill  out  of  which 
ran  a  small  stream.  It  was  evident  that  they  had  caught  sight  of  us 
and  came  a  little  nearer  so  as  to  have  a  good  look  at  our  ship.  We  called 
to  them  in  Russian  and  in  Kamchadal  that  they  should  come  to  us. 
At  the  end  of  the  hour  we  heard  people  shouting  to  us  from  the  shore 
in  the  direction  SSW,  but  we  could  not  see  them  and  owing  to  the  surf 
could  not  make  out  their  words.  We  replied,  through  the  speaking 
trumpet  and  without  it,  asking  them  to  come  out  to  us. 

At  the  tenth  hour  in  the  morning  seven  small  boats,  one  man  in  each, 
were  seen  rowing  towards  us.  Each  of  these  boats  was  about  15  feet 
long,  3  feet  wide,  the  bow  very  sharp,  the  stern  somewhat  rounded  and 
blunt,  and  the  whole  covered  with  hair  seal  and  sea  lion  skins.  The 
deck  was  roundish  and,  like  the  sides,  was  sewed  with  some  kind  of 
skins  except  one  spot  between  the  center  and  the  stern,  where  there 
was  a  round  hole  in  which  the  man  sat.  He  was  dressed  in  a  kind  of 
shirt  which  covered  his  head  and  his  arms  and  was  made  from  the 
intestines  of  a  whale  or  some  other  animal.  There  was  something  outside 
the  hole  that  resembled  leather  breeching  and  which  tied  around  the 
man.  Some  of  these  breechings  were  not  tied,  and  we  could  see  that 
there  were  rocks  in  the  boats.  They  have  light  double  paddles,  made  of 
birch  wood,  with  which  they  paddle  on  both  sides;  and,  as  far  as  we 
could  make  out,  the  men  were  quite  fearless  in  the  water.  They  were 
not  deterred  by  any  kind  of  waves  or  seas  and  went  through  the  water 
at  a  rapid  rate.  When  they  came  within  50  fathoms  of  the  ship  they 
began  to  shout,  turning  first  to  one  side  and  then  to  the  other,  not  in 
the  manner  as  if  they  wished  to  speak  but  as  the  Yakuts  and  Tungus  do 
in  their  incantations.  From  this  act  we  concluded  that  the  people  before 
us  were  doing  the  same  thing  and  were  praying  that  no  harm  might  come 
to  them  from  us.  Whether  this  is  the  true  explanation  of  their  behavior 
or  not  I  cannot  tell.  After  they  had  carried  on  like  this  about  seven  or 
eight  minutes  they  began  to  converse  with  one  another  in  the  usual  tone 
of  voice.  While  they  were  doing  this  we  looked  pleasant,  bowed  to  them, 
and  waved  our  hands  as  an  invitation  for  them  to  come  nearer  our  ship; 
but  they  did  not  quite  dare  to  do  so.  They  made  a  gesture  with  their 
hands  as  if  drawing  a  bow,  which  showed  that  they  were  afraid  we  might 

19  Adak  Island. 


304  JOURNAL  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL" 

attack  them.  To  the  best  of  our  abiUty  we  tried  to  convince  them  that 
they  had  nothing  to  fear  from  us.  We  pressed  our  hands  to  our  hearts 
as  a  sign  that  we  would  receive  them  in  a  friendly  manner.  To  convince 
them  still  more  I  threw  them  a  Chinese  cup  as  a  mark  of  friendship. 
One  of  the  men  picked  it  up  and  after  examining  it  made  a  gesture  as  if 
to  indicate  that  he  had  no  use  for  it.  He  was  about  to  throw  it  back  to 
the  ship  when  we  bowed  and  motioned  for  him  to  keep  it,  but  he  threw 
it  into  the  water.  I  ordered  that  two  pieces  of  damask  should  be  tied  to 
a  board  and  thrown  into  the  water  near  the  ship.  They  picked  it  up 
and  after  handling  it  for  a  little  while  threw  it  away.  I  then  gave  the 
order  to  bring  up  the  different  things  we  had  to  give  as  presents — small 
boxes,  small  bells,  needles,  Chinese  tobacco,  pipes — and,  holding  them 
up,  I  invited  them  to  come  near.  During  this  time  I  had  few  men  on 
deck  but  had  them  concealed  below  with  their  guns  loaded  in  case  of 
danger.  In  spite  of  our  efforts  we  could  not  convince  them  of  our  good 
will  if  they  came  close  to  the  ship.  It  was  only  after  we  made  them 
understand  that  we  were  out  of  water  and  had  nothing  to  drink  and 
that  we  looked  to  them  for  help  that  one  of  them  dared  approach  us. 
We  gave  him  Chinese  tobacco  and  a  pipe  which  he  took  and  placed  on 
the  deck  of  his  boat.  When  the  others  saw  this  they,  too,  became  bold 
and  paddled  up.  We  distributed  among  them  boxes,  bells,  needles,  all 
of  which  they  received  rather  indifferently  as  if  not  knowing  what  to  do 
with  them.  They  did  not  even  know  that  needles  would  sink  and  did 
not  make  any  effort  to  keep  them  out  of  the  water,  for  among  the 
presents  we  gave  them  some  of  the  needles  fell  into  the  water,  and 
instead  of  saving  them  they  merely  watched  them  go  down.  Among 
them  we  noticed  several  who  raised  one  hand  to  their  mouth  and  with 
the  other  hand  made  a  quick  motion  as  if  cutting  something  near  the 
mouth.  This  gave  us  the  idea  that  they  wanted  knives,  because  the 
Kamchadals  and  the  other  peoples  of  this  region  when  they  eat  meat  or 
anything  of  that  kind  cut  it  at  the  mouth.  I  ordered  that  a  knife  should 
be  given  them,  and  when  they  saw  it  they  were  overjoyed  and  seized  it 
from  one  another  and  with  great  eagerness  begged  for  more.  We  then 
invited  as  many  of  them  as  would  to  come  aboard  so  that  we  might 
show  them  friendly  attentions  and  persuade  some  of  them  to  accom- 
pany us,  as  the  instructions  of  the  Captain  Commander  required.  Not 
being  able  to  understand  one  another,  we  not  only  failed  to  persuade 
them  to  go  with  us  but  even  to  coax  one  of  them  to  come  on  board  so 
that  we  might  show  them  how  friendly  we  really  were.  We  gave  them  a 
small  barrel  in  which  to  bring  us  water  from  the  shore.  They  understood 
what  we  meant,  but  they  would  not  take  the  barrel  and  showed  us  that 
they  had  bladders  for  that  purpose.  Three  of  them  paddled  towards 
the  beach  and  returned  with  water.  When  they  came  alongside  one  of 
them  held  uri  a  bladder  and  indicated  that  he  wished  to  have  a  knife  in 


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WESTWARD  AGAIN  305 

payment.  This  was  given  him;  but,  instead  of  handing  over  the  bladder, 
he  passed  it  to  the  second  man,  who  also  demanded  a  knife.  When  he 
got  it  he  passed  the  bladder  to  the  third  man,  who  equally  insisted  on  a 
knife.  This  act,  as  well  as  some  other  things  they  did,  proves  that  their 
conscience  is  not  highly  developed. 

These  men  seem  to  be  of  fair  size  and  resemble  the  Tatars.  They  are 
pale  and  seemingly  healthy.  Almost  all  of  them  were  beardless,  whether 
naturally  so  or  because  they  had  plucked  out  the  hair  it  is  hard  to  tell; 
only  two  or  three  of  them  had  anything  like  beards.  They  stuff  roots  into 
their  noses  which  causes  them  to  bleed.  Some  of  these  roots  they  were 
eating  and  gave  us  a  few  for  the  same  purpose.  In  order  to  determine 
what  these  roots  are  we  brought  them  along.  In  return  for  their  gift 
we  made  them  a  present  of  sea  biscuits.  They  brought  us  some  kind  of 
mineral  wrapped  in  sea  weeds.  Aside  from  arrows,  of  which  we  secured 
four,  there  was  nothing  on  board  their  boats.  They  wear  on  their 
heads  a  kind  of  hat  made  of  thin  birch  boards,  which  are  decorated  with 
various  colors  and  feathers.  Some  of  these  dippers  (hats)  had  in  the 
top  small  ivory  statues.  We  secured  one  of  these  dippers  by  giving  in 
trade  a  dull  axe,  which  they  received  gladly.  As  a  mark  of  friendship  we 
offered  them  a  copper  kettle,  which  they  kept  for  a  little  while  and  then 
handed  back. 

When  they  had  been  near  the  ship  for  a  considerable  time  they  re- 
turned to  the  shore.  In  the  afternoon  we  were  visited  by  fourteen  of 
these  boats,  one  man  in  each,  among  whom  were  a  number  who  had  been 
with  us  before  noon.  When  they  neared  the  ship  they  made  the  same 
kind  of  noise  as  before.  Although  they  spent  three  or  four  hours  along- 
side and  we  talked  a  great  deal,  yet  we  do  not  know  anything  they  said, 
and  we  could  not  persuade  one  of  them  to  come  aboard.  They  would 
have  remained  near  us  even  longer  if  I  had  not  ordered  that  signs  should 
be  made  to  them  to  go  ashore.  I  did  this  because  the  wind  began  to 
rise,  making  it  possible  for  us  to  get  out  of  the  bay  into  which  we  had 
unintentionally  entered.  After  much  difficulty  and  the  loss  of  an  anchor 
we  finally,  with  God's  help,  got  out. 

September  lo,  1741 

Latitude  51°  12';  from  Vaua,  longitude  11°  54'  6",  rhumb  S77°04'E, 
distance  451  knots. 

At  the  sixth  hour  in  the  afternoon  there  was  a  very  light  offshore 
breeze,  but  we  could  see  from  the  way  the  clouds  were  being  driven  east- 
ward that  beyond  the  mountains  there  was  a  west  wind. 

By  the  eighth  hour  the  wind  freshened  a  little.  We  began  to  heave  in 
the  cable  and  had  already  35  fathoms  aboard  when  all  of  a  sudden  a 
squall  from  the  mountains  struck  us.  The  anchor  began  to  drag.  We 
hoisted  the  topsails  and  foresail.    The  tide  was  setting  towards  the  north. 


3o6  JOURNAL  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL" 

forcing  us  on  the  land,  which  was  about  300  fathoms  to  the  east.  Fear- 
ing that  we  might  be  driven  ashore  and  dashed  on  the  submerged  rocks 
farther  to  the  west  we  cut  the  cable  (35  fathoms  of  which  we  had  already 
heaved  in)  of  the  spare  small  bower  anchor  at  the  hawsehole,  crowded  on 
all  sails  and  stood  out  to  sea  in  a  SE  direction,  and  after  great  difficulty 
and  great  danger  succeeded. 

September  11,  1741 
Latitude  50°  52';  from  Vaua,  longitude  11°  45'  8",  rhumb  S74°28'E, 
distance  451.8  knots. 

September  12,  1741 
Latitude  by  observation  51°  12';  from  Vaua,  longitude  10°  52'  3", 
rhumb  S75°59'E,  distance  414  knots. 

September  13,  1741 
Latitude  51°  01';  from  Vaua,  longitude  10°  05'  9",  rhumb  S73°i8'E, 
distance  389.7   knots. 

Saw  a  considerable  quantity  of  floating  weeds  near  the  ship. 

September  14,  1741 
Latitude  50°  31';  from  Vaua,  longitude  8°  19'  o",   rhumb  S65°22'E, 
distance  341.5  knots. 

Saw  a  shore  cormorant  on  the  wing. 

• 
September  is,  17 41 
Latitude  51°  01';  from  Vaua,  longitude  6°  27'  9',  rhumb  S64°53'E, 
distance  264  knots. 

September  16,  1741 
Latitude  51°  54';  from  Vaua,  longitude  5°  26'  5",  rhumb  S73°3o'E, 
distance  207.7  knots. 

Captain  Chirikov.  Lieutenant  Chikhachev,  and  the  members  of  the 
crew  are  very  ill,  owing  to  the  lack  of  water  and  the  long  and  hard  sea 
voyage.  They  are  no  longer  able  to  work.  One  of  the  strongest,  the  sail- 
maker  Michael  Usachev,  died  of  scurvy,  and  we  lowered  the  body  into 
the  sea.  All  during  the  day  we  saw  sea  cabbage  and  floating  grass,  the 
kind  that  grows  near  the  shore;  the  color  of  the  water  was  green,  unlike 
the  color  of  sea  water. 

September  17,  I74i 
Latitude  51°  30';  from  Vaua,  longitude  5°  17'  9".  rhumb  S66°56'E, 
distance  209.5  knots. 

This  day  we  saw  the  same  kind  of  sea  cabbage,  grass,  and  water  as  the 
dny  before. 


LANDFALL:  AGATTU  ISLAND  307 

September  i8,  1741 
Latitude  by  observation  52°  33';  from  Vaua,   longitude  4°  44'  8', 
rhumb  S83°2o'E,  distance  172.5  knots. 

Saw  the  same  kind  of  sea  cabbage,  grass,  and  green  water. 

September  19,  1741 
Latitude  52°  37';  from  Vaua,  longitude  4°  36'  8',  rhumb  883°! 2 'E, 
distance  167.5  knots. 

September  20,  1741 
Latitude  52°  36';  from  Vaua,  longitude  4°  17',  rhumb  S83°46'E,  dis- 
tance 156.6  knots. 

September  21,  1741 

Latitude  52°  35';  from  Vaua,  longitude  3°  29'  5',  rhumb  S8i°5i'E, 
distance  127  knots. 

At  the  eighth  hour  we  saw  a  small  fish  near  the  ship,  took  soundings, 
and  got  60  fathoms.  No  land  in  sight,  but  for  the  sake  of  safety  we  put 
about. 

At  the  tenth  hour  in  the  morning  we  saw  land  straight  ahead  of  us, 
which  did  not  look  like  Kamchatka.  We  came  about  on  a  light  tack  and 
went  parallel  to  the  shore  on  the  east,  distant  about  4  knots.  At  noon  the  land 
was  still  in  sight,  extending  from  WSW,  8  knots,"  to  NW>^W,  6  knots. 
Until  12:30  the  southern  half  of  the  land  seemed  level,  and  the  northern 
half  mountainous;  but  the  mountains  were  neither  high  nor  snow-cov- 
ered. A  small  island-"  loomed  up  in  N  by  W^W,  10  knots.  In  a  bay 
situated  between  the  above-mentioned  land  in  NW>2W  and  NE  by  N 
high,  snow-covered  mountains  were  seen.^i 

September  22,  17 41 

Latitude  52°  07';  from  V^aua,  longitude  2°  34'  3°,  rhumb  S63°54'E, 
distance  104.5  knots. 

At  the  sixth  hour  in  the  afternoon  the  cape  which  at  noon  bore  WSW, 
8  knots,  bears  now  NE  by  N^E,  12  knots,  and  the  other  cape,  the 
western  one,  bears  N  by  W,  6  knots;  between  them  the  shore  is  low  and 
level;  the  low,  snowless  mountains,  which  at  noon  seemed  to  stretch 
from  south  to  north,  and  the  high,  snow-covered  mountains  in  the  bay 
bear  NW  by  W>^W,  15  knots;  and  the  land  which  we  sighted  yesterday 
in  N  by  W  is  now  N,  distant  about  15  knots. 

Today  %ve  saw  two  otters  asleep  in  the  water. 

i»  This  was  the  southeastern  point  of  Agattu  Island. 
-"  One  of  the  Semichi  Islands. 
"  The  high  land  of  Attu. 


308  JOURNAL  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL" 

September  23,  174 1 
Latitude  51°  48';  from  Vaua,  longitude  3°  10'  4",  rhumb  S54°52'E, 
distance  11 2.9  knots. 

September  24,  17 41 
Latitude  51°  50';  from  Vaua,  longitude  1°  59'  i",  rhumb  S49°o6'E, 
distance  96.2  knots. 

September  25,  17 41 
Latitude  51°  27';  from  Vaua,  longitude  1°  03'  i"  E,  rhumb  S3i°io'E, 
distance  100.5  knots. 

September  26,  1741 
Latitude  52°  16';  from  Vaua,  longitude  0°  6'  13"  W,^^  rhumb  S5°45'W, 
distance  46.8  knots. 

Assistant  Constable  Osip  Kachikov  died  of  scurvy  and  we  lowered  the 
body  into  the  sea.  Captain  Chirikov,  Lieutenants  Chikhachev  and 
Plautin,  and  six  of  the  crew  are  very  ill  with  scurvy;  all  the  others  are  so 
weak  from  long  sickness,  hard  work,  and  lack  of  water  that  they  can 
barely  come  on  deck  and  do  their  work.  We  have  not  more  than  seven 
barrels  of  water  on  board. 

September  27,  1741 

Latitude  51°  44';  from  Vaua,  longitude 0°  38'27"E,  rhumb  Si8°44'E, 
distance  72.9  knots. 

Captain  Chirikov,  Lieutenants  Chikhachev  and  Plautin,  Professor  of 
Astronomy  Delisle  de  la  Croyere,  and  twelve  members  of  the  crew  are 
very  sick  with  scurvy;  and  the  others  are  weak  and  get  about  with  great 
difficulty.  We  have  only  six  small  barrels  of  water,  and  the  daily  need  is 
five  cups  per  person.   We  no  longer  cook  kaska.^^ 

=^2  All  the  longitudes  ought,  of  course,  to  be  E,  as  the  whole  voyage  lay  to  the 
eastward  of  Vaua.  That  their  calculations  from  now  on  gave  W  longitudes  (the 
E  positions  of  September  27  and  28  were  temporary  setbacks  b-cause  of  head  winds) 
made  the  officers  of  the  St.  Paul  aware  of  the  error  in  the  ship's  position:  the  total 
error  in  longitude  amounted  to  11°  39'  (see  footnote  14,  p.  322).  The  distances, 
rhumbs,  and  longitudes  become  intelligible  when  referred  to  the  assumed  position 
of  Vaua,  which  was  about  in  170°  30'  E  of  Greenwich  (and  52°  53'  N). 

In  his  report  (Chapter  VIII,  p.  322)  Chirikov  discusses  this  matter  of  error  in 
longitude  and  its  cause.  He  correctly  ascribes  it  to  lack  of  a  known  point  at  the 
farther  end  of  his  journey  wherewith  to  check  his  observations.  He  also  correctly 
infers  that  the  currents  are  partially  responsible;  he  made  attempts  to  determine 
this  element  but  was  not  able  to.  It  is  precisely  in  the  adjustment  to  known  posi- 
tions through  the  identification  of  landfalls  and  in  the  allowance  made  for  currents 
that  lies  the  value  of  such  modern  reconstructions  of  Bering  and  Chirikov's  tracks 
as  is  afforded  by  PI.  I.  It  is  interesting  to  compare  this  chart  with  the  reproduction 
of  the  original  chart  of  the  navigators  accompanying  Sokolov's  memoir  in  Zapiski 
llydrogr.  Depart.,  Vol.  Q,  St.  Petersburg,  1851  (copied  on  Lauridscn's  "Vitus  Bering," 
1889,  Map  III.) — Edit.  Note. 

''  Buckwheat  mush. 


WESTWARD  ON  THE  LAST  STRETCH  309 

September  28,  1741 
Latitude  51°  i?';  from  Vaua.  longitude  0°  50'  37'  E,  rhumb  Si7°52'E. 
distance  loi  knots. 

September  2Q,  1741 
Latitude  52°  11';  from  Vaua,  longitude  o°2i'53'W,  rhumb  Si 7°i8'W. 
distance  44  knots. 

September  30,  1741 
Latitude  51°  55';  from  Vaua,  longitude  1°  02'  53"  W,  rhumb  S33°i9'W, 
distance  69.4  knots. 

At  the  ninth  hour  in  the  morning  we  had  a  heavy  storm  with  squalls, 
hail,  and  snow.  We  furled  the  mainsail,  lowered  the  main  yards  and 
fore  yards,  and  hove  to  under  the  mizzen.  The  waves  threw  up  on  deck 
a  small  fish  called  stickleback  (khakhalcha),  which  is  not  more  than  2K 
inches  long. 

October  i.  1741 
Latitude  51°  28';  from  Vaua,   longitude  0°  32'  33'  (?)  W,   rhumb 
Si3°22'W,  distance  87.4  knots. 

Heavy  sea  running;  rain,  snow,  and  cold. 

October  2,  1741 
Latitude  51°  46';  from  Vaua,  longitude  2°  19'  6"  W,  rhumb  S5i°5o'W, 
distance  108.4  knots. 

October  3,  1741 
Latitude  51°  58';  from  Vaua,  longitude  3°  48'  W,  rhumb  S68°34'W, 
distance  150.5  knots. 

October  4,  1741 
Latitude  by  observation  52°  56';  from  Vaua,  longitude  5°  3:'  4'  W 
rhumb  N89°o8'W,  distance  199.9  knots. 

At  the  second  hour  in  the  afternoon  we  had  a  heavy  rain,  and  the 
crew  had  a  chance  to  satisfy  their  thirst  and  to  catch  seven  buckets  of 
water  in  addition. 

October  3,  1741 
Latitude  52°  33';  from  Vaua,  longitude  6°  48'  4"  W,  rhumb  S8s°23'W, 
distance  248.4  knots. 

At  the  ninth  hour  in  the  morning  topsail  wind,  heavy  snow,  and  very 
cold.    The  men  were  so  weak  that  they  suffered  much  at  their  work. 

October  6,  17 41 
Latitude  52°  29';  from  Vaua,  longitude  6°  41'  7°  W,  rhumb  S84°22'W, 
distance  244.5  knots. 


310  JOURNAL  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL" 

Ociober  7,  17 41 

Latitude  53°  12';  from  Vaua,  longitude  9°  32'  W,  rhumb  N86°S4'W, 
distance  352  knots. 

At  the  fifth  hour  in  the  afternoon  Vasili  Nizhegorodok  of  Yakutsk,  the 
servant  of  Lieutenant  Plautin,  died  of  scurvy,  and  we  lowered  the 
body  into  the  sea.  At  end  of  the  tenth  hour  Lieutenant  Chikhachev  died 
of  scurvy. 

Ociober  8,  1741 

Latitude  52°  37';  from  Vaua,  longitude  11°  04'  1"  W,  rhumb  S85°07'W, 
distance  399.4  knots. 

Navigator  Vrange  and  Lieutenant  Michael  Plautin  died  of  scurvy  in 
the  third  hour  of  the  afternoon.  At  the  seventh  hour  in  the  morning  we 
sighted  land — high,  snow-covered  mountains.  According  to  our  opinion 
and  according  to  the  position  of  the  land  it  must  be  the  shore  running 
north  from  Isopa  to  Vaua.^''  Owing,  however,  to  the  mist  we  could  not 
see  very  distinctly. 

At  noon  we  were  certain  that  the  land  in  sight  was  Shipunski  Cape 
bearing  NNE5<E;  Avacha,  or  Burning,  Volcano  bore  NW  by  N^W, 
Vilyuchensk  Volcano  W  by  N^W;  the  land  ended  to  the  S  and  SW  by 
W;  Vaua  could  not  be  seen  owing  to  the  mist. 

October  9,  17 41 

Latitude  52°  57';  from  Vaua,  longitude  11°  39'  4"  W,  rhumb  N89°27'W, 
distance  422  knots. 

At  the  sixth  hour  we  sighted  Vaua;  but,  owing  to  the  head  wind  and  the 
coming  on  of  night,  we  could  not  enter  the  bay  and  therefore  put  out  to 
sea.  At  noon  the  wind  was  very  light,  and  the  fog  cleared  a  bit,  and 
Vaua  stood  out,  bearing  according  to  compass  W  by  N,  distant  about  10 
knots. 

October  10,  1741 

At  the  fifth  hour  in  the  afternoon  the  wind  from  N  increased  a  little, 
and  we  sailed  WNW  into  the  mouth  of  the  bay. 

At  the  eighth  hour  noticed  a  light  on  Vaua  lighthouse. 

At  the  ninth  hour  we  safely  passed  Vaua  and  entered  the  mouth  of 
Avacha  Bay,  where  we  anchored  in  seven  fathoms. 

At  the  seventh  hour  we  fired  five  guns  as  a  signal  for  small  boats  to 
come  out. 

At  the  ninth  hour  Ensign  Levashev  came  out  and  told  us  that  Captain 
Commander  Bering  on  the  5/.  Peter  had  not  yet  returned,  that  the  galliot 
Okhotsk,    in   command   of  Assistant    Navigator   Andrei   Sheganov,    had 

-♦  It  was  not  the  coast  south  of  Vaua  but  north  of  it  that  was  sighted,  as  was 
soon  realized,  as  the  first  sentence  of  the  next  paragraph  shows. 


RETURN  TO  PETROPAVLOVSK  311 

come  from  Okhotsk  bringing  1,500  poods  of  provisions,  that  Captain 
Spanberg  with  five  ships  had  reached  Bolsheretsk  from  Okhotsk  on  his 
way  to  Japan. 

Professor  of  Astronomy  Dehsle  de  la  Croyere  died  of  scurvy  at  ten 
o'clock. 

At  noon  Captain  Chirikov  was  taken  ashore  in  a  very  sick  condition. 

October  12,  1741 
Brought  the  ship  around  into  the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  for 
the  winter  and  began  to  discharge  cargo. 

Note  on  the  Loss  of  Chirikov's  Men 

The  loss  of  Chirikov's  men  is  the  most  dramatic  incident  of  the  voyage  of  the  St.  Paul. 
The  question  naturally  arises.  What  was  their  fate?  Has  any  account  of  this  episode  been 
handed  down  in  the  traditions  of  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  refiion?  This  question  was  sub- 
mitted to  a  number  of  authorities  on  the  ethnology  of  the  Pacific  Coast.  None  of  them 
had  heard  of  any  such  tradition.  Among  previous  investigators.  Professor  George  David- 
son, to  judge  by  a  footnote  on  p.  20  of  his  "The  Tracks  and  Landfalls  of  Bering  and  Chirikof 
on  the  Northwest  Coast  of  America,"  San  Francisco,  1901,  made  an  attempt  in  1901  to 
ascertain  the  traditions  of  the  Tlingits  through  the  medium  of  two  members  of  the  Alaska 
Commercial  Company.    It  is  not  known  that  any  information  was  secured. 

One  of  the  ethnologists  consulted.  Lieutenant  George  T.  Emmons,  whose  study  of  a 
similar  first  contact  between  a  Pacific  Coast  tribe  and  white  men  (The  Meeting  between 
La  Perouse  and  the  Tlingit,  .Xmer.  Anthropologist,  Vol.  13,  191 1.  pp.  294-298),  together 
with  his  long  labors  among  the  Tlingits.  makes  him  peculiarly  well  equipped  to  deal  with 
this  question,  has  likewise,  during  thirty  years'  investigation  among  the  coa-st  tribes, 
never  been  able  to  learn  anything  of  the  loss  of  Chirikov's  men.  However,  in  the  com- 
munication that  he  kindly  sends,  he  suggests  that  Chirikov's  two  boats  may  have  been 
swamped  in  the  strong  tidal  rips  that  occur  at  the  mouths  of  such  narrow  fiord  arms  as 
Lisianski  Strait,  especially  if  they  entered  with  the  strength  of  a  flood  tide.  That  this 
might  easily  happen  to  small  boats  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  today  even  powerful 
steamers,  as  he  states,  enter  Peril  Stiait,  a  similar  passage  somewhat  farther  south,  only 
at  slack  water.  The  assumption  that  the  boats  were  swamped  and  their  occupants 
drowned  would  seem  to  be  borne  out  by  the  fact  that  two  native  canoes  put  off  from  shore 
and  approached  the  St.  Paul.  If  the  Ru.ssians  had  landed  and  if.  in  spite  of  Chirikov's 
admonitions  to  his  men,  there  had  been  a  fight,  the  natives,  after  this  fir,st  experience 
of  firearms,  even  if  they  had  overpowered  the  landing  parties,  would  certainly  not  have 
exposed  themselves  to  the  greater  risk  of  facing  the  main  body  of  the  Russians.  The  fact 
that  they  approached  the  ship  would  rather  prove  their  innocence.  Also,  the  similarity 
of  their  call  of  "agai,"  as  reported  by  Chirikov.  to  the  Tlingit  "agou,"  which  means  "come 
here,"  would  seem  to  imply  friendly  intentions.  In  most  later  instances  the  first  meetings 
of  natives  of  this  coast  with  Europeans,  before  the  Russians  commenced  to  appropriate 
their  hunting  grounds,  says  Lieutenant  Emmons  in  conclusion,  were  friendly;  indeed, 
the  Tlingits  were  rather  ready  to  trade. 

The  only  suggestion  of  a  tradition  among  the  coast  tribes  that  might  shed  light  on  the 
loss  of  Chirikov's  men  is  contained  in  a  recently  published  book,  "The  Story  of  Sitka,  The 
Historic  Outpost  of  the  Northwest  Coast,  The  Chief  Factory  of  the  Russian  American 
Company,"  by  C.  L.  Andrews,  Seattle,  1922.  The  relevant  passages  (pp.  9-10)  follow. 
"The  author  assumes  the  locality  of  the  tragedy  to  be  Sitka  Sound. 

"Nearly  two  centuries  have  passed  since  the  Russian  seamen  landed  and  no  word  has 
come  from  them.  For  more  than  seventy  years  the  Russian  Government  sought  for  some 
sign  of  their  fate.*  "Tales  were  told  of  a  colony  of  Russians  existing  on  the  coast,  but  each 
upon  investigation  proved  but  a  rumor. 

"There  is  a  dim  tradition  among  the  Sitkas  of  men  being  lured  ashore  in  the  long  ago. 
They  say  that  Chief  Annahootz,  the  predecessor  of  the  chief  of  that  name  who  was  a 
firm  friend  of  the  whites  at  Sitka  in  1878,  w-as  the  leading  actor  in  the  tragedy.  Annahootz 
dressed  himself  in  the  skin  of  a  bear  and  played  along  the  beach.  So  skillfully  did  he  simu- 
late the  sinuous  motions  of  the  animal  tliat  the  Russians  in  the  excitement  of  the  chase 
plunged  into  the  woods  in  pursuit  and  there  the  savage  warriors  killed  them  to  a  man, 
leaving  none  to  tell  the  story.  The  disappearance  of  Chirikofs  men  has  remained  one  of 
the  many  unsolved  mysteries  of  the  Northland,  and  their  fate  will  never  be  known  to  a 
certainty." — Edit.  Note. 


*  "January  20th,  1820,  a  letter  written  by  the  Directory  at  St.  Petersburg  to  Chief 
Manager  Muravief  at  Sitka  enclosing  instructions  previously  given  to  Hagemeister,  in- 
structing him  to  find  the  descendants  of  Chirikofs  lost  men,  urging  that  it  must  be  done 
and  expressing  surprise  that  it  had  been  neglected  thus  long.  (Russian  American  (Com- 
pany's) Archives,  [State  Department,  Washington,  D.  C.,]  Correspondence,  Vol.  2, 
No.  108)." 


CHAPTER  VI 11 

CHIRIKOV'S  REPORT  OX  THE  \OYAGE 
OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL" 

Captain  Chirikov's  report  on  the  voyage  of  the  St.  Paul, 
together  with  a  supplementary  report  in  which  he  expresses  his 
readiness  to  continue  the  explorations,  with  their  respective 
enclosures,  translated  from  the  originals^  in  the  Russian  archives, 
reads  as  follows. 

To  THE  Imperial  Admiralty  College,  A  Report 
On  May  4,  1741.  Captain  Commander  Bering,  I,  Captain  Chirikov, 
Lieutenant  Chikhachev,  Navigator  Vrange,  Fleet  Lieutenants  Sven 
Waxel  and  Plautin,  Professor  of  Astronomy  Louis  Delisle  de  la  Croyere, 
Fleet  Master  Sofron  Khitrov,  Acting  Fleet  Master  Avraam  Dementiev, 
and  Navigators  Andreyan  Eselberg  and  Ivan  Elagin  met  to  hear  the 
written  instructions  given  to  Captain  Commander  Bering  by  the  Im- 
perial Admiralty  College,  especially  Articles  9,  10,  and  17,  and  Article  6 
of  the  general  order  of  the  ruling  Senate,-  which  was  with  the  said  in- 
structions. After  reading  them  we  all  agreed  that,  according  to  the  in- 
structions, to  find  the  American  coast  we  should  sail  at  first,  after 
leaving  this  harbor,  SE  by  E  by  true  compass  and  keep  on  this 
rhumb  to  the  46th  parallel  of  north  latitude  unless  we  sooner  found 
land,  for,  on  the  map  of  Professor  Delisle  de  la  Croyere,  Juan  de  Gama 
Land  was  located  on  the  47th  parallel  of  latitude  and  right  on  our  course. 
We  believed  that  it  was  a  part  of  America  because,  on  the  general  charts, 
land  is  indicated  all  the  way  from  CaUfornia  to  Juan  de  Gama  Land, 
and  this  indication  is  also  on  the  map  of  Professor  Delisle  de  la  Croyere. 

Although  Juan  de  Gama  Land  is  represented  as  anisland, consequently 
not  a  part  of  the  American  continent,  yet  we  decided  on  the  course  we 
did  because  our  instructions  called  for  an  examination  of  the  islands 
lying  on  the  way  to  America.  It  was  agreed  that  in  case  land  was  not 
found  in  the  latitude  just  mentioned  we  should  sail  steadily  E  by  N 

'  Archives  of  the  Ministry  of  Marine,  Petrograd:  Papers  of  Captain  Commander 
Bering,  No.  44. 

2  The  instructions  of  the  Admiralty  College  to  Bering  are  not  given  in  the 
present  work,  but  the  orders  of  the  Senate  are.  Article  6  will  be  found  in  Chapter 
IV,  p.  30. 


SEARCH  FOR  DE  GAMA  LAND  313 

until  we  met  with  success.  If  land  was  discovered  either  on  the  course 
SE  by  E  or  E  by  N,  we  determined  to  coast  alongside  of  it  from  east  to 
north  or  north  to  west,  depending  on  its  position,  but  not  to  follow  it 
up  if  it  stretched  between  south  and  east.  In  the  latter  case,  we  were 
to  leave  it  and  sail  east  until  we  sighted  [other]  land  and  when  found 
to  keep  it  in  view  likewise  while  going  northerly,  to  the  65th  parallel 
or  at  least  as  far  as,  God  willing,  time  would  permit.  If  we  reached  the 
65th  parallel  in  good  season  we  planned  to  sail  due  west  to  the  Chukchi 
country  and  determine  the  distance  between  America  and  Asia  and  when 
we  had  done  that  to  steer  for  this  port.  If  head  winds  should  prevent 
us  from  keeping  on  the  above-mentioned  rhumb,  we  agreed  to  keep  as 
close  to  it  as  possible  until  with  God's  help  we  discovered  land  and  exam- 
ined it  in  accordance  with  the  instructions  of  the  Captain  Commander. 
In  planning  the  voyage  we  had  to  keep  in  mind  that  we  were  to  be  back 
in  this  harbor  towards  the  end  of  September.  Although  we  discussed 
the  suggestion  of  the  Admiralty  College,  made  before  we  left  St.  Peters- 
burg, to  go  first  to  the  Chukchi  country  and  from  there  towards  America 
(for  the  distance  must  be  short),  we  did  not  act  upon  it  because  the  season 
was  too  early  and  there  was  too  much  ice  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
Chukchi  land,  which  is  situated  near  latitude  65°  N. 

Therefore  we  concluded  to  follow  the  course  first  mentioned,  and  on 
May  29  we  sailed  out  ot  the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  [Petropav- 
lovsk]  and  anchored  in  the  roadstead  of  Avacha  Bay  and  there  remained, 
on  account  of  head  winds,  until  June  4,  when  the  wind  died  down  and 
we  put  out  to  sea  and  kept  the  course  agreed  upon  for  Juan  de  Gama 
Land.  By  June  12  we  had  come  as  far  as  the  46th  parallel  without 
finding  the  said  land,  and  it  became  quite  evident  that  it  did  not  exist, 
since  we  had  sailed  over  the  region  where  it  was  supposed  to  be.  On  June 
13  we  changed  the  course  in  order  to  find  America  and  sailed  E  by  N, 
or  as  near  to  it  as  the  winds  permitted.  On  June  20  because  of  the  con- 
tinuous fogs,  which  are  common  in  this  region,  and  the  stormy  winds 
(which  obliged  us  to  heave  to  under  the  mizzcnsail)  the  Captain  Com- 
mander and  I  became  separated.  During  this  bad  weather  I  searched 
for  him  as  long  a  time  as  he  allowed  for  such  a  purpose  but  without 
success.  From  this  time  on  I  did  not  again  see  his  ship  and  was,  there- 
fore, compelled  to  continue  the  voyage  alone  on  the  course  laid  out. 

On  July  IS  (having,  from  the  mouth  of  Avacha  Bay,  where  we  had  put 
up  a  lighthouse  named  Vaua,  come  east  61°  51'  of  longitude,  according 
to  our  reckoning,  distance  on  the  rhumb  E  by  N  6°  57'  E,  2,178  knots  or 
Italian  miles,  or  3.793  Russian  versts,  counting  104M  versts  to  a  degree 
— in  returning  we  made  73°  30'  of  longitude,  distance  on  the  rhumb  E  by 
N  7°  38'  E,  2,589  knots,  or  4,509  Russian  versts — )  we  discovered  land 
[Cape  Addington]  in  latitude  55°  36'  north  [noon  position].  This  land 
was  without  doubt  the  American  coast,  because,  according  to  the  map 


314       REPORT  ON  VOYAGE  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL" 

of  the  Nuremberg  geographer  Johann  Baptist  Homann  and  others,  we 
were  not  far  from  parts  of  America  that  are  well  known.  To  illustrate 
this  point  more  clearly  we  have  joined  (on  the  chart  which  is  being  sent 
to  the  Admiralty  College)  our  discoveries  with  the  American  coast  as 
it  appears  on  the  map  of  Homann  and  Professor  Delisle  de  la  Croyere, 
namely  the  northern  part  of  California,  the  mouth  of  the  Moozemleck 
River, ^  a  portion  of  the  interior  of  the  eastern  part  of  Hudson  Strait. 
The  longitude  of  Kamchatka,  as  given  on  the  chart,  is  referred  to 
Teneriffe  Island  and  St.  Petersburg  as  calculated  by  Professor  Delisle 
de  la  Croyere. 

When  we  stood  near  the  land  on  the  above-noted  date  we  looked  about 
for  anchorage  in  order  to  make  our  observations  as  we  were  instructed. 
We  approached  within  three  versts  of  the  shore  and  even  nearer  in  some 
places,  sounding  as  we  went  along,  but  found  no  good  anchorage,  for 
the  depth  was  about  70  fathoms  or  more.  The  coast  is  irregular  and 
mountainous;  these  mountains  had  a  fine  growth  of  timber  and  in 
places  were  covered  with  snow.  In  the  journal  and  on  the  general  chart 
may  be  seen  the  lay  of  the  land,  for  we  paralleled  it.  Not  finding  a  good 
anchorage  I  sent  the  quartermaster  Grigori  Trubitsin  with  eight  men  in 
the  longboat  into  a  bay  to  ascertain  whether  it  could  be  entered,  the  kind 
of  anchorage,  and  the  depth  of  the  water.  He  did  as  he  was  told  and 
returned  in  four  hours  and  made  a  \vritten  report  to  the  effect  that  he 
had  been  within  60  fathoms  of  the  shore  opposite  the  bay,  where  he  found 
40  fathoms  of  water  and  gravelly,  sandy  bottom.  There  was  shelter 
from  north  and  east  winds,  but  no  protection  from  west  and  south  winds. 
It  offered  anchorage  for  only  a  small  boat.  The  width  of  the  bay  from 
the  cape  to  the  shore  is  son  3where  from  4  to  5  versts.  In  going  by  the 
cape  we  noticed  on  the  rocks  many  sea  lions.  On  the  mountains  were 
large  trees  of  fir  and  pine.  Human  habitation  we  did  not  see.  On  July 
16,  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening,  we  took  the  longboat  aboard,  because 
there  was  no  good  place  to  anchor;  and,  for  more  safety,  we  steered  away 
from  shore  for  the  night.  About  five  in  the  morning,  the  wind  being  fair, 
we  came  about  and  sailed  north  on  the  same  rhumb  on  which  we  last 
saw  land  [Cape  Ommaney]  in  the  north  the  night  before.  At  ten  o'clock 
in  the  morning  we  came  within  a  half  verst  of  it.  At  the  time  it  was  quite 
foggy,  and  in  order  not  to  get  too  close  we  paralleled  it,  keeping  between 
north  and  west.  It  was  my  intention  to  make  a  careful  survey  of  a  part 
of  the  American  coast,  but  my  plans  were  ruined  by  the  misfortune  of 
July  18.  On  that  day  we  were  in  the  58th  degree,  and  I  noticed  that  the 
mountains  had  more  snow  on  them  than  those  we  had  passed.  Evidently 
we  were  going  into  colder  country,  where  it  is  more  difficult  to  make  ob- 
servations than  in  warmer.    With  this  idea  in  mind  I  ordered,  my  officers 

'On  Ilomann's  map  (1712?)  this  river  falls  into  the  Gulf  of  California. 


LANDING  IN  LISIANSKI  STR.AIT  315 

agreeing,  the  acting  fleet  master  Avraam  Dementiev  with  ten  armed  men 
to  take  the  yawl  and  examine  the  bay.  It  was  then  in  the  fourth  hour.  I 
followed  them  with  the  ship,  with  the  purpose  of  anchoring  when  I  was 
near  the  bay  into  which  they  entered.  Much  to  our  disappointment  we 
found  no  place  to  anchor;  evcr>-where  the  shore  is  broken  up,  and  the 
mountains  come  right  down  to  the  water's  edge;  and,  as  is  usual  in  such 
cases,  the  water  is  deep,  which  on  sounding  we  found  to  be  true,  as  may 
be  seen  in  the  officers'  journals. 

We  approached  within  two  versts  of  the  bay,  sounding  as  we  went 
along,  but  got  nowhere  less  than  65  fathoms.  Almost  everywhere  the 
bottom  was  gravelly,  and  in  many  places  rocks  were  seen  above  and 
below  water.  For  these  reasons  we  did  not  anchor  but  hove  to  and 
tacked  in  front  of  the  bay,  the  bearings  of  which  we  took.  Before  he  set 
out  I  handed  Dementiev  a  copy  of  the  instructions  which  had  been 
given  to  us  to  display  in  public.  He  read  it  over  several  times.  I  gave 
him  also  the  following  order  which  was  signed  by  me: 

You  are  put  in  command  of  the  longboat  and  ten  armed  men,  one  copper  cannon 
and  two  rockets;  and  you  are  to  go  ashore  and  do  the  following  things. 

(i)  When  you  come  near  enough  to  the  shore,  make  a  landing  if  possible; 
if  not,  come  back  to  the  ship  and  for  our  information  fire  two  guns.  (2)  If  with 
God's  help  you  get  ashore,  look  about  for  human  beings;  if  you  find  them,  be 
gentle  with  them  and  present  them  with  a  few  small  presents  with  which  the  ensign 
Choglokov-  will  provide  you,  namely  a  copper  and  an  iron  kettle,  two  hundred 
beads,  three  packages  of  Chinese  tobacco,  one  piece  of  nankeen,  one  piece  of  damask, 
five  rattles  (?],  and  a  paper  of  needles.  From  me  you  will  receive  ten-ruble  pieces 
which  you  may  distribute  among  the  inhabitants  as  you  think  best.  .Among  other 
questions  ask  them,  in  case  the  Koriak  interpreter  who  goes  with  you  can  enter 
into  conversation  with  them  (for  it  is  not  likely  that  any  other  language  but  his 
will  be  of  any  help),  what  kind  of  land  this  is  and  under  what  government  they 
are;  and  ask  some  of  them  to  come  aboard  our  ship.  (3)  See  whether  there  is 
a  safe  place  for  a  ship  to  come  in  and  anchor  for  a  time,  take  soundings,  and  make 
a  sketch  map  of  the  harbor,  even  if  it  is  only  rough.  (4)  Note  the  kind  of  trees 
and  grasses  on  shore,  (s)  Examine  the  rocks  and  the  soil  to  see  whether  they 
contain  precious  minerals;  in  order  to  help  you  a  piece  of  silver  ore  is  given  you  to 
take  along  and  if  you  find  something  like  it  bring  it  aboard.  (6)  Ask  the  natives 
in  what  direction  the  land  extends,  whether  it  has  any  rivers  that  flow  into  the 
sea,  and  where  they  are;  and  obtain  such  other  information  asyou  can.  (7)  If  the 
inhabitants  should  act  in  an  unfriendly  manner  and  make  it  unsafe  to  remain, 
return  to  the  ship  as  quickly  as  you  can;  but  do  them  no  harm  nor  allow  your  men 
to  do  so.  (8)  Make  evcr>'  effort  to  carry  out  quickly  the  above  instructions  so 
that  you  may  return  to  the  ship  the  same  day  or  at  least  not  later  than  the  next 
day.  If  thick  weather  should  set  in,  making  it  impossible  to  see  the  ship,  you  had 
better  not  come  out.  If  stormy  weather  should  come  on,  delay  your  departure 
and,  with  that  in  view,  take  with  you  provisions  enough  to  last  your  company  a 
week.  (9)  As  soon  as  you  land  signal  to  us  with  a  rocket  and  when  you  embark 
let  off  another  one.    While  ashore  keep  up  a  big  fire,  especially  at  night,  if  you  think 


3i6      REPORT  ON  VOYAGE  OF  THE  "ST,  PAUL" 

we  are  likely  to  see  the  flame,  or  the  smoke  in  the  day  time.  (lo)  When  you  are 
within  a  verst  of  the  shore  begin  sounding  to  ascertain  the  depth  and  the  kind  of 
bottom.  (li)  Fill  with  fresh  water  the  two  barrels  which  are  being  sent  with 
you.  In  all  things  conduct  yourself  as  a  true  and  good  servant  of  Her  Imperial 
Majesty. 

We  had  no  signal  of  any  kind  from  him.  We  saw  them  approach 
the  shore,  and  that  is  all.  Hoping  that  he  would  come  out,  we  kept  under 
sail  for  five  days  and  as  near  the  bay  as  we  dared. 

At  first  the  weather  was  such  that  the  longboat  could  have  come 
without  any  trouble;  later  we  had  heavy  rains,  fog,  and  strong  winds 
which  carried  us  from  the  said  bay  a  distance  of  about  30  knots.  On 
July  23  we  returned  and  went  up  quite  close  to  the  bay  and  there  saw 
a  fire  which  w^ thought  was  made  by  our  men.  During  all  the  time  that 
we  had  followed  the  coast  we  had  seen  no  fire,  no  buildings,  no  boats, 
nor  any  other  signs  of  human  beings  and  therefore  supposed  that  the 
country  was  uninhabited.  When  we  observed  the  flame  we  fired  a  gun 
at  intervals  as  a  signal  to  the  boat  to  come  out;  but  no  boat  came, 
although  the  weather  was  fair  for  that  purpose  and  we  sailed  quite  close 
to  the  shore.    As  we  fired  the  blaze  on  the  beach  grew  bigger. 

On  July  24  we  concluded  that  it  was  quite  probable  that  the  boat  was 
damaged  and  could  not  come  out.  With  this  idea  in  mind  all  the  officers 
consulted  and  decided  (in  writing)  to  send  ashore  the  small  boat  with 
the  carpenter,  the  calker,  and  the  necessary  tools  to  repair  the  longboat. 
Boatswain  Sidor  Savelev  volunteered  to  accompany  them,  and  the  sailor 
Fadiev  was  asked  to  go  and  help  row  because  he  had  expressed  a  desire 
to  do  so.  These  are  the  instructions  (a  copy  of  which  is  enclosed^)  which 
were  given  to  the  boatswain.  On  reaching  shore  and  finding  the  boat 
in  need  of  repairs  he  was  to  leave  the  carpenter  and  calker;  and  he,  with 
Dementiev  and  three  or  four  of  the  men,  was  to  return  to  the  ship  without 
delay.  When  he  departed  the  weather  was  very  still;  we  followed  him 
quite  close  to  shore  and  saw  him  approach  it.  According  to  our  time 
it  was  exactly  six  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  The  signals  which  had  been 
agreed  upon  he  failed  to  make  and  at  the  expected  time  did  not  return. 
The  weather  was  fair.  Next  day,  July  25,  at  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
we  sighted  coming  out  of  the  bay  into  which  we  had  sent  our  men  two 
boats,  one  small  and  the  other  larger,  and  we  concluded  that  they  must 
be  our  boats  returning.  We  went  to  meet  them;  as  we  drew  near  we 
noticed  that  they  were  not  our  boats,  because  their  bows  were  sharp 
and  the  men  did  not  row  as  we  do  but  paddled.  They  did  not  come 
near  enough  for  us  to  make  out  their  faces;  all  we  saw  was  that  there 
were  four  men  in  one  boat;  one  man  stood  at  the  stern  and  three  paddled. 
One  of  them  wore  something  red.    We  saw  them  stand  up,  motion  with 

*  See  below,  p.  323. 


LOSS  OF  FIFTEEN  MEN  317 

their  hands,  and  heard  them  call  twice,  "Agai,  Agai";  and  then  they 
turned  about  and  paddled  for  the  shore.  I  ordered  white  kerchiefs  to  be 
waved  as  an  invitation  for  them  to  board  our  ship.  This  was  done  by 
a  number  of  our  men,  but  it  did  no  good;  the  people  in  the  boats  paid 
no  attention,  proceeded  shoreward,  and  entered  the  bay  out  of  which 
they  had  come.  We  could  not  follow  them  because  in  the  first  place  there 
was  little  wind  and  in  the  second  place  the  small  boat  was  fast  and  the 
larger  one  had  not  come  very  near  us.  We  became  convinced  that  some 
misfortune  had  happened  to  our  men.^**  Dementiev  had  been  gone  eight 
days,  and  during  that  time  the  weather  was  fair  for  returning  and  we 
stood  close  by.  From  the  time  that  the  boatswain  left  us  we  had  hardly 
moved,  and  the  weather  was  quiet.  Surely  something  must  have  hap- 
pened to  them;  otherwise  they  would  have  come.  The  action  of  the 
natives,  their  fear  to  come  close  to  us,  made  us  suspect  that  they  had 
either  killed  our  men  or  held  them.  We  stood  near  the  place  the  rest 
of  the  day;  in  the  evening  we  kept  offshore  a  bit  but  had  a  lantern  at  the 
stern  so  that  in  case  our  men  came  out  they  would  see  us. 

The  next  morning  at  eleven  we  came  about  and  coasted  along  the  shore 
between  north  and  west.  By  the  end  of  July  26,  we  had  come  to  latitude 
58°  21'  N  and  longitude  from  Vaua,  according  to  our  reckoning  as  we 
went  along,  54°ii'.5  At  this  place  and  on  July  27  we  discussed  whether  we 
should  still  keep  up  the  search.  We  had  no  small  boat  and  therefore 
no  means  of  sending  a  party  ashore  or  bringing  water  and  provisions  on 
board.  According  to  our  reckoning  in  coming  over  we  were  nearly  2,000 
knots  from  the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul,  and  we  had  no  idea 
what  kind  of  wind  we  should  have.  We  had  45  casks  of  water,  hardly 
enough  for  such  a  distance;  we  did  not  know  whether  they  were  full 
or  partly  empty  (later  it  proved  that  we  were  seven  short).  Having 
taken  all  these  circumstances  into  consideration,  we — that  is,  I,  Lieuten- 
ant Chikhachev,  Navigator  Vrange,  Fleet  Lieutenant  Plautin,  and 
Navigator  Ivan  Elagin — agreed  not  to  continue  on  our  course  [not  to 
follow  the  coast]  but  to  start  back  at  once  for  the  Harbor  of  St.  Peter 
and  St.  Paul.  I  enclose  an  accurate  copy  of  our  decision.^  At  the  time 
we  realized  that  it  was  too  soon  for  going  back  and,  had  it  not  been 
for  our  misfortunes,  we  should  not  have  done  so.  Altogether  we  saw 
about  400  versts  of  the  [American]  coast. 

Having  decided,  we  put  about  and  sailed  for  this  harbor.  On  the 
way  we  had  contrary  winds  from  northwest  and  southwest  almost  con- 
tinuously. We  unexpectedly  ran  into  some  land  [Adak  Island]  which 
was  on  our  course  and  nearly  lost  the  ship  and  all  on  board.  We  saw 
whales,  sea  lions,  walruses,  porpoises,  birds,  many  white-backed  ducks, 

s  According  to  the  journal  (Chapter  VII,  p.  297)  the  latitude  is  that  of  July  26 
but  the  longitude  that  of  July  27. 

6  See  below,  p.  324.  *"  See  note  on  p.  311. 


3i8       REPORT  ON  VOYAGE  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL" 

also  another  kind  with  a  red  crooked  bill,  and  many  different  kinds  of 
gulls.  All  along  the  coast  the  mountains  are  high,  the  shore  steep,  and 
the  water  deep. 

The  mountains  along  the  shore  which  we  first  sighted  were  covered 
with  growths  of  good-sized  trees;  some  of  the  mountains  had  snow  on 
them,  increasing  in  quantity  the  farther  north  we  went.  From  the 
place  we  turned  back  we  could  see  in  N^E  very  high  snow-covered 
mountains  [Mt.  Fairweather],  far  higher  than  any  in  Kamchatka.  On 
August  I ,  at  five  in  the  afternoon,  we  sighted  land  in  NWK W  [SW  end  of 
Kenai  Peninsula],  about  30  knots  distant,  and  towards  the  end  of  the  day 
we  took  bearings  of  it.  On  this  land  there  was  a  chain  of  snow-covered 
mountains,  and  we  were  of  the  opinion  that  this  was  a  continuation  of 
the  land  from  which  we  had  turned  back  a  few  days  before,  because 
in  the  interval  we  saw  birds,  gulls,  ducks,  also  floating  grass  which  grows 
along  the  shore.  These  we  did  not  see  on  our  outward  voyage,  when  we 
were  a  considerable  distance  from  land,  except  during  two  or  three  days 
when  we  ran  into  a  little  floating  grass  and  observed  one  bird  a  day  (not 
counting  gray  gulls  and  another  kind  of  small  bird  that  looks  like  the 
kestrel  of  the  steppes,'  which  we  always  saw  far  out).  On  account  of 
this  we  kept  a  little  south  of  the  regular  course  and  the  fair  wind.  Begin- 
ning with  July  31  the  color  of  the  water  was  different  from  what  it  is 
far  out  at  sea,  but  we  saw  no  land  on  that  day,  probably  because  of  the 
fog.  On  August  I  and  2  we  caught  sight  of  it  and  at  the  end  of  the  day 
took  its  bearings.  On  August  4  and  5  we  took  soundings  and  got  bottom 
between  43  and  90  fathoms.  Many  birds  flew  about,  and  the  color  of 
the  water  indicated  that  we  were  near  land;  but  we  did  not  see  it.  Dur- 
ing the  night  of  August  6  we  came  to  a  bank  where  the  water  was  only  30 
fathoms  and  the  bottom  sandy  and  rocky,  and  we  were  therefore  obliged 
to  come  about  and  go  on  an  easterly  course.  The  land  which  we  sighted 
on  August  I  is  marked  on  the  chart  alongside  of  the  date,  and  our  daily 
positions  are  also  indicated  there.  The  winds  were  contrary,  and  the 
fresh  water  was  decreasing. 

On  August  I  I  consulted  with  the  officers  and  with  their  consent  gave 
the  order  that  the  crew  should  have  cooked  kasha^  once  a  day  for  two 
days  and  twice  on  the  third  day,  and  of  drinking  water  no  more  than  is 
necessary  to  quench  the  thirst.  As  to  the  officers,  they  were  to  have 
one  cooked  meal  a  day.    When  it  rained  the  crew  set  buckets  and  other 

'  According  to  Pallas,  puslolga  is  the  Russian  name  for  the  kestrel  {Falco  tinnun- 
culus),  which  is  common  enough  on  the  Russian  steppes  but  does  not  occur  in  eastern 
Asia  or  in  Alaska.  The  bird  seen  by  Chirikov  must  therefore  be  another  species 
of  small  hawk  or  falcon,  possibly  Circus  hudsonius.  or  more  likely  Falco  columharius, 
the  typical  form  of  which  has  been  recorded  from  the  Prince  William  Sound  region  by 
Grinnell  (Univ.  of  California  Pubis,  in  ZooL,  Vol.  5,  1910,  p.  387)  while  the  dark  form 
{Falco  c.  suckleyi)  prevails  between  Sitka  and  northern  California.    (L.  Stejneger.) 

8  A  buckwheat  mush. 


WESTWARD  ALONG  ALASKAN  COAST  .319 

vessels  to  catch  the  water  from  the  sails;  and,  although  it  was  bitterish 
and  tasted  of  tar,  yet  the  men  drank  it  gladly  and  said  that  it  was  good 
for  the  health  and  that  the  tar  bitterness  cured  them  of  scurvy.  In  order 
that  the  men  might  not  become  too  weak  from  lack  of  sufficient  food  I 
ordered  that  on  those  days  when  they  had  kasha  just  once  they  should 
be  given  (this  did  not  apply  to  the  officers  and  their  servants)  a  cup  of 
wine  in  addition  to  the  usual  allowance.  As  the  head  winds  continued 
and  the  supply  of  water  ran  short  without  any  hope  of  our  getting  more, 
the  distance  from  the  harbor  being  still  considerable,  I  ordered  that  the 
crew  should  have  kasha  only  every  other  day.  The  men  took  it  in  the 
right  spirit,  and  on  the  days  when  they  had  no  kasha  they  lived  on 
biscuit  and  butter.  On  those  days  when  additional  food  was  allowed 
they  had  salt  meat  cooked  in  sea  water.  After  September  14  the  crew 
had  cooked  kasha  but  once  a  week,  and  on  the  other  six  days  they  lived 
on  cold  food.  It  was  understood  that  if  any  one  wished  to  use  his  allow- 
ance of  drinking  water  for  cooking  his  biscuit  he  might  do  so,  but  this 
would  be  the  only  warm  food  he  would  receive.  These  privations  began 
to  tell;  many  of  the  men  came  down  with  scurvy,  and  both  officers  and 
crew  did  their  work  under  great  difficulties.  Some  of  the  men  were  so 
feeble  that  they  could  not  even  come  on  deck.  I  began  to  fear  that 
the  worst  might  happen  and  therefore  ordered  that  after  September  14 
the  members  of  the  crew  should  have  daily  two  cups  of  wine  and  the  petty 
officers  one  above  the  usual  allowance. 

About  seven  in  the  morning  of  September  4  we  sighted  land  [Islands 
of  Four  Mountains],  and  at  the  end  of  the  day  we  took  the  bearings 
of  it.  The  reckoning  on  our  returning  voyage  gave  latitude  52°  23'  N, 
longitude  from  Vaua  32°  49',  distance  on  the  rhumb  E  by  S  9°48'E, 
1,186  knots,'  or  2,065^  Russian  versts.  The  land  was  full  of  mountains, 
the  highest  of  which  was  covered  with  snow.  At  eight  o'clock  we  came 
about  to  get  away  from  the  land  and  sailed  on  a  course  between  S  and  W 
so  that  after  we  got  by  it  we  could  continue  on  our  regular  course.  On 
September  8  we  had  many  indications  of  the  nearness  of  land,  namely 
birds  and  floating  grass,  and  on  that  account  between  seven  in  the  even- 
ing and  seven  in  the  morning  we  kept  one  or  two  points  more  to  the  south 
than  usual,  and  after  that  we  sailed  on  the  regular  course  for  a  short  time. 
At  nine  o'clock  the  fog  set  in  and  the  signs  of  land  were  still  plentiful, 
and  I  was  again  obliged  to  sail  one  point  south  of  our  regular  course,  or 
west  by  true  compass.  At  the  end  of  the  seventh  hour  in  the  evening 
the  wind,  by  God's  mercy,  suddenly  moderated.  We  took  soundings  and 
found  bottom  at  50  fathoms. 

While  we  made  ready  to  anchor  the  sea  carried  us  into  30  fathoms 
and  sandy  bottom,  and  there  we  let  go  the  small  bower  anchor  and 

>  These  are  the  corrected  longitude  and  distance.  The  journal  for  September  4 
(see  p.  302)  gives:  longitude,  21°  10',  distance  770  knots. 


320      REPORT  ON  VOYAGE  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL" 

paid  out  a  half  cable.  At  the  bow  there  was  28  fathoms  and  at  the  stern 
24.  We  heard  the  breaking  of  the  surf  on  the  rocks,  but  the  heavy 
fog  hid  everything  from  sight.  Towards  nine  in  the  morning,  when  it 
cleared  a  bit,  we  saw  land  to  the  west  [Adak  Island],  about  200  fathoms 
away.  The  high  mountains  on  it  were  bare  of  trees  but  covered  with  grass. 
The  beach  was  irregular,  the  eastern  part  seemed  lower  and  about  300 
fathoms  away.  Near  the  shore,  on  both  sides,  there  were  many  rocks 
above  and  below  the  water,  and  we  could  see  the  surf  breaking  over  them. 
To  the  north  no  land  was  seen. 

As  we  examined  the  shore  we  caught  sight  of  two  men  walking  along 
the  beach.  We  shouted  to  them  in  Russian  and  in  the  Kamchadal 
language  to  come  aboard;  a  little  later  we  heard  human  voices  calling 
to  us,  but  the  breaking  of  the  surf  made  so  much  noise  that  we  could  not 
make  out  what  was  said.  Through  the  speaking  trumpet  and  without 
it  we  again  invited  them  to  come.  At  ten  o'clock  seven  men  in  seven 
small  skin  boats  came  near  us  and,  after  looking  on  for  some  time,  went 
back  to  shore.  In  the  afternoon  (September  9)  fourteen  of  these  skin 
boats,  one  man  in  each,  paddled  up  to  our  ship,  and  from  them  we  secured 
one  of  the  hats  they  wore  (which  was  made  of  birch  wood)  and  four 
arrows.  They  also  gave  us,  wrapped  up  in  seaweeds,  some  kind  of  mineral 
which  I  think  is  antimony  (or  stibnite),  which  I  have  sent  to  Bolsheretsk 
Post  to  be  assayed  by  the  assayer  Gardebol;  but  up  to  this  time  I  have 
not  heard  from  him.  They  also  gave  us  the  roots  of  a  grass  with  which 
they  stuff  their  noses,  and  a  few  of  these  roots  we  brought  with  us  for 
exhibition.  As  to  how  they  came,  their  kind  of  boats,  their  dealings  with 
us,  and  other  such  matters  are  written  up  in  the  journal. 

At  the  eighth  hour  in  the  evening  of  September  10,  the  wind  began  to 
blow  from  the  west,  and,  trusting  to  God's  help,  we  attempted  to  get 
away  from  where  we  stood  before  it  was  too  late.  We  started  to  heave 
in  but  while  doing  this  drifted  easterly  to  within  300  fathoms  of  the  shore 
and  we:e  in  danger  of  being  blown  on  it.  I  feared  also  that  there  might 
be  submerged  rocks  on  the  west.  I,  therefore,  ordered  to  cut  the  cable 
(34  fathoms  of  which  was  still  out)  at  the  hawse  hole,  to  put  on  all  sail, 
and  to  go  SE.  This  was  done  with  God's  help,  but  it  was  a  narrow  escape, 
for  a  strong  wind  blew  off  the  mountains  and  from  all  directions. 

The  place  where  we  were  at  anchor  is  in  latitude  5i°4o'N,  distant  from 
V'aua,  reckoning  from  our  returning  point  on  the  rhumb  E  by  S  6°2o'E, 
852  knots,'"  or  1,484  Russian  versts.  After  we  cleared  the  land  we 
proceeded  to  sail  a  little  more  westerly  than  our  laid-out  course,  but  the 
head  winds  greatly  hindered  us. 

On  September  21 ,  at  eight  in  the  evening,  we  noticed  a  small  fish  close 
to  the  ship.    We  took  soundings  and  got  60  fathoms.    We  let  the  ship  drift 

10  This  is  the  corrected  distance.  The  journal  for  September  9  (p.  302)  gives 
429  knots. 


LANDFALLS  IN  THE  ALEITIAN  ISLANDS       321 

and  took  more  soundings  and  got  the  same  depth  with  sandy  bottom. 
There  was  no  land  in  sight,  probably  because  it  was  hidden  by  the  dark- 
ness and  fog;  but  we  took  no  chances  and  stood  out  easterly  for  two 
hours  and  then  hove  to  until  three  in  the  morning,  when  we  proceeded 
on  our  course.  At  the  end  of  the  ninth  hour  in  the  morning,  land  [Agattu 
Island]  was  sighted  on  the  rhumb  W  by  N,  but  I  knew  that  it  was  not  yet 
Kamchatka.  In  the  tenth  hour  we  came  about  in  order  to  clear  it  in  the 
south,  for  the  wind  was  favorable  and  we  were  keeping  parallel  with  the 
shore  between  south  and  west.  At  the  end  of  the  day  we  took  the  bear- 
ings of  the  land,  which  was  latitude  52°  35'  N,  distant  from  Vaua  956 
Russian  versts,"  reckoning  from  the  returning  point.  The  shore  seemed 
broken  up;  here  and  there  were  mountains  of  no  great  size,  but  in  the 
distance  were  high  snow-covered  mountains;  but  on  the  lower  mountains 
and  on  the  level  there  was  no  snow.  At  different  times  we  noticed  near 
the  land  four  otters,  the  kind  that  live  near  Kamchatka,  but  which  we 
had  found  nowhere  else.  We  had  the  land  in  view  until  six  in  the  morning 
of  September  22.  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  land  which  we  sighted  on 
September  4,  9,  and  21  is  one  and  the  same  body,  and  it  is  probably  due 
to  the  fog  that  we  did  not  always  see  it.  We  had  enough  evidence  of  it 
in  the  shape  of  shore  birds,  different  kinds  of  animals  that  keep  close  to 
land,  and  floating  grasses.  As  we  sailed  south  these  signs  either  decreased 
or  disappeared  altogether.  On  our  outward  voyage,  when  we  kept  much 
farther  south  than  on  the  inward,  we  saw  hardly  any  of  the  above  indica- 
tions, aside  from  sea  animals  and  a  small  amount  of  fairly  broken-up 
sea  grass  and  that  rarely.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  all  the  land  which 
we  saw  is  one  body  because  from  August  6,  when  it  disappeared  from 
view,  until  September  4,  when  we  caught  sight  of  it  once  more,  there 
were  signs  that  it  was  near.  Another  good  bit  of  evidence  to  substantiate 
my  theory  is  this:  If  the  people  we  met  with  on  September  9  were  on 
an  island  it  goes  to  show  that  the  mainland  is  near,  for  how  could  they 
have  come  here  otherwise?  If  it  is  not  an  island  then  it  is  the  mainland 
itself.    I  cannot  say  for  certain  which  it  is. 

By  the  end  of  September  all  members  of  the  crew  were  down  with 
scurvy;  many  of  them  could  not  stand  their  watch,  and  those  that  came 
on  deck  did  so  t)ecause  it  was  necessary  and  not  because  they  had  the 
strength.  Between  September  16  and  the  time  when  we  returned  to  the 
harbor  six  men  died.  Their  names,  as  well  as  those  who  were  left  on  the 
American  coast,  are  recorded  in  the  register.'-  On  the  night  of  October  7, 
at  ten  o'clock.  Lieutenant  Chikhachev  died;  on  the  next  day  Navigator 
Vrange  and  Fleet  Master  Michael  Plautin  passed  away.  Chikhachev 
could  not  stand  his  watch  for  three  weeks  before  he  died,  and  Plautin 

"  Equivalent  to  549  knots.    This  would  be  the  corrected  distance.    The  journal 
for  September  21  (p.  307)  gives  127  knots, 
u  Not  published  in  the  present  work. 


322       REPORT  ON  VOYAGE  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL" 

for  two  weeks.  I  was  so  ill  with  scurvy  and  so  weak  that  I  expected  death 
any  moment.  From  September  21  to  the  time  that  we  reached  port  I  was 
not  able  to  come  on  deck.  The  ship  was  navigated  by  Ivan  Elagin, 
who,  although  very  ill,  yet  would  not  give  in  and  because  of  dire  necessity 
remained  on  deck  almost  continuously.  I  gave  him  such  help  as  I  could, 
for,  thanks  to  God,  my  mind  did  not  leave  me.  I  worked  out  the  courses 
from  the  log  book  and  told  him  what  to  do.  When,  according  to  our 
reckoning  on  the  outward  voyage,  we  should  have  sighted  Kamchatka 
but  failed  to  do  so,  I  ordered  him  to  steer  west  close  to  the  parallel  of  this 
harbor.  Elagin  has  good  judgment,  and,  if  it  had  not  been  for  him  and 
the  strength  which  God  gave  him,  some  great  misfortune  would  have 
happened  to  the  ship.  Because  of  his  great  merits,  good  judgment, 
soberness,  as  well  as  for  numerous  difficult  services,  I  promoted  him  to  the 
rank  of  fleet  lieutenant,  for  he  not  only  did  the  work  of  that  office  but  ran 
the  whole  ship. 

By  the  will  of  God  we  caught  sight  of  Kamchatka  at  seven  in  the  morn- 
ing of  October  8,  and  two  days  later,  nine  in  the  evening,  we  sailed  into 
Avacha  Bay  and  anchored.  At  the  time  we  had  but  two  barrels  of 
water,  which  we  had  boiled  out  of  sea  water.  At  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning 
of  October  10  Professor  Delisle  de  la  Croyere  died.  With  God's  help  we 
entered  the  Harbor  of  the  Holy  Apostles  Peter  and  Paul  on  October  12. 
At  the  time  of  this  writing  the  Captain  Commander  has  not  yet  arrived, 
and  it  is  not  known  whether  on  account  of  some  misfortune  he  has  been 
obliged  to  winter  somewhere.  We  had  enough  provisions  on  board  both 
ships  to  last  a  half  year  in  case  of  necessity. 

Enclosed  is  a  list  of  the  crew  (with  their  names)  who  are  with  the 
Captain  Commander."  I  am  submitting  to  the  Admiralty  College  the 
journal  of  our  voyage  and  a  Mercator  chart.  According  to  our  reckoning 
the  number  of  degrees  of  longitude  between  Kamchatka  and  America 
differs  in  going  and  coming, ^^  owing  to  the  fact  that  during  all  the  time 
that  we  were  at  sea  we  reckoned  from  only  one  base,  the  meridian  of 
Vaua,  and  had  no  other  base  or  way  to  correct  by.  The  outward  voyage 
and  the  land  discovered  on  it  are  marked  on  the  chart  in  black  ink; 
and  the  return  voyage,  with  the  land  sighted  and  its  extension,  in  red 
ink.  During  such  a  long  voyage  and  period  of  time  it  is  impossible  even 
for  the  best  navigators  to  escape  errors  altogether.  If  a  more  accurate  map 
is  desired,  the  professors  of  the  Academy  can  make  it  from  the  reckonings 
going  and  coming  or  in  some  other  way  from  the  log,  journal,  and  chart. 
To  what  extent  the  error  in  longitude  is  due  to  the  currents  I  cannot  tell. 
In  going  we  tried  twice  to  determine  the  current  but  failed.  Along  the 
American  coast  there  was  a  tidal  current  running  up  and  down  parallel 

I'  Not  published  in  the  present  work. 

"Going,  61°  51';  coming,  73°  30'  (see  Chirikov's  report,  above,  p.  313;  also 
Chapter  VII,  footnote  22,  p.  308). 


RETURN  TO  PETROPAVLOVSK  323 

to  the  shore.  In  returning  we  had  no  small  boat  and  could  not  make  a 
study  of  the  tide. 

It  took  six  weeks  to  go  from  Kamchatka  to  America;  these  weeks 
were  in  the  months  of  June  and  July  (by  the  middle  of  June  we  were 
in  latitude  46°  N),  and  yet  it  was  as  cold  as  our  middle  autumn.  We 
had  almost  continuous  fogs;  only  occasionally  about  the  middle  of  the 
day  did  the  sun  show  itself.  During  these  six  weeks  we  had  only  three 
really  fair  days.  The  same  kind  of  weather  prevailed  along  the  American 
coast,  for  while  we  were  there  the  weather  was  not  fair.  In  August  and 
September,  when  we  returned,  we  had  many  more  clear  days  with  the 
usual  strong  autumn  winds.  In  my  opinion  the  best  time  to  navigate 
these  seas  is  August  and  half  of  September  and  not  June  and  July. 

The  instructions  of  the  Admiralty  College  require  that  this  report  be 
sent  in  care  of  an  officer  who  took  part  in  the  expedition.  Unfortunately 
this  is  not  possible,  as  the  officers  are  dead;  and  therefore  I  am  sending 
it  in  care  of  the  marine  Semeon  Splavshikov,  who  will  follow  the  winter 
overland  route.  This  route  as  far  as  Yakutsk  is  not  very  safe  because 
of  the  unsubdued  natives  living  between  Kamchatka  and  the  Kolyma 
Post,  who  sometimes  kill,  plunder,  or  detain  Russian  travelers.  If  I 
were  not  to  send  it,  I  should  be  blamed  for  delay.  For  fear  that  these 
papers  may  not  reach  their  destination  I  intend,  as  soon  as  navigation 
to  Okhotsk  opens  in  the  spring,  to  send  to  the  Admiralty  College  exact 
copies  of  the  report,  journal,  chart,  list  of  the  crew  with  their  names,  by 
a  special  messenger,  the  midshipman  Yurlov.  He  will  also  take  along 
the  things  we  secured  from  the  natives  of  the  newly  discovered  land  and 
hand  them  to  the  Admiralty  College.  I  beg  to  add  that  in  this  journal 
the  day  of  the  month  begins  at  noon  as  is  customary  in  all  naval  journals. 

To  the  Admiralty  College  from  its  humble  servant. 

Captain  Alexei  Chirikov 
December  7,  J  741 

Enclosures 

Instructions  to  Boatswain  Sidor  Savelev 

On  the  19th  of  this  month  Acting  Fleet  Master  and  Navigator  Dementiev  went 
ashore  and  has  not  been  heard  of  since,  and  it  is  possible  some  harm  has  come  to 
him.  We  are  now  near  the  spot  where  he  was  sent,  and  I  order  you  to  go  in  the 
small  boat  to  the  place  where  he  went.  Take  with  you  a  carpenter  and  a  calker 
and  such  tools  as  are  needed  for  repairing  the  boat.  When  you  come  close  to  the 
shore,  if  you  see  no  hostile  natives  or  see  Dementiev  or  some  of  his  men,  make  a 
landing.  If  the  boat  is  damaged  and  can  be  repaired,  set  the  carpenter  and  some 
of  Dementiev's  men  to  work;  but  do  you  come  back  at  once  and  bring  with  you 
Dementiev  and  as  many  of  his  men  as  are  not  needed  to  do  the  repair  work.  If 
the  boat  is  beyond  repairs  bring  aboard  as  many  men  as  your  boat  will  hold,  and 


324      REPORT  ON  VOYAGE  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL" 

for  the  others  another  trip  will  be  made.  If  you  find  his  party  and  boat  in  good 
condition,  signal  that  fact  to  us  by  making  two  fires — the  smoke  of  which  we  could 
see  in  day  time  and  the  flames  at  night.  If  the  boat  can  be  repaired,  build  three 
fires;  if  it  cannot  be,  make  four  some  little  distance  apart.  But  you  are  to  come 
aboard  with  Dementiev  and  as  many  others  as  the  boat  will  accommodate  without 
overloading.  Should  you  start  back  in  the  evening  or  at  night,  lay  out  the  fires  as 
best  you  can. 

Captain  Chirikov 
July  23,  1741 

Decision  to  Return 

On  July  26,  1741,  Captain  Chirikov  and  the  undersigned  officers  decided,  owing 
to  the  loss  of  the  two  ship's  boats  with  Dementiev  and  fourteen  men.  not  to  follow 
out  the  original  plan  but  to  start  for  Kamchatka  that  very  day.  There  were  no 
more  small  boats  on  board,  which  made  it  impossible  to  examine  the  shore  or  to 
take  on  fiesh  water.  We  had  only  45  barrels  of  water,  and  this  is  a  very  small 
amount  considering  the  long  distance  to  Avacha,  which  is  nearly  2,000  knots.  We 
were  not  even  sure  that  some  of  the  water  had  not  leaked  out  of  the  casks.  We  were 
equally  in  doubt  as  to  the  kind  of  winds  we  might  have.  Because  of  this  shortage 
of  water  it  was  agreed  not  to  examine  the  coast  but  to  sail  for  Kamchatka  so  as  not 
to  suffer  some  great  misfortune. 

Captain  Alexei  Chirikov 

Ivan  Chikhachev 


Lieutenants  ,  ,,  „ 

Michael    Plautin 

Navigator        Ivan  Elagin 

To  THE  Admiralty  College,  A  [Supplementary]  Report 

Captain  Commander  Bering's  instructions  required  us  to  examine  the 
land  which  according  to  rumor  lies  opposite  the  Chukchi  country,  some 
distance  to  the  east,  also  the  last  land  we  saw  on  our  voyage.  956  versts 
from  here  [Agattu].  It  is  my  humble  duty  as  well  as  my  great  desire  to  se- 
cure full  information  about  both  of  these  lands.  Of  the  company  that  was 
put  under  my  command,  that  is  to  say  the  lieutenant,  two  navigators, 
constable,  boatswain,  and  crew,  some,  by  the  will  of  God,  have  died, 
others  were  lost  on  the  American  coast  (their  names  I  have  sent  with  my 
first  report  to  the  Admiralty  College).  At  the  present  time  I  have  only 
one  man  on  board  for  navigating  the  ship,  keeping  the  log,  and  mapping 
the  coast,  and  that  is  the  navigator  Elagin.  Although  on  the  list  of  officers 
there  is  the  name  of  the  assistant  navigator  Yurlov  (who  was  not  taken 
along  on  the  last  expedition),  yet  he  does  not  know  his  business.  (It 
would  seem  that  he  was  taken  from  a  warehouse,  where  he  acted  as 
watchman,  and  put  to  study  navigation,  being  then  of  an  age  when  he 
could  learn  neither  the  theory  nor  the  practice  of  it;  and  after  a  time, 
because  of  length  of  service,  he  was  given  the  rank  and  pay  of  assistant 
navigator.)  As  to  myself,  I  am  quite  unfit  for  sea  duty.  The  scurvy  is 
sleep  in  my  system,  and  this  it  is  difficult  to  shake  off  because  of  the 


SUPPLEMENTARY  REPORT  325 

heavy  atmosphere  and  especially  because  of  the  poor  and  insufficient 
food.  Twice  on  the  return  voyage  I  nearly  died  of  the  disease,  the  last  time 
it  was  October  26.  Now,  by  God's  mercy,  I  am  just  able  to  sit  up;  my 
feet  are  drawn  up  and  full  of  spots,  and  the  teeth  are  loose  in  the  gums. 
The  drugs  on  hand  are  so  old  that  they  are  worthless.  A  similar  state  of 
ill  health  exists  among  the  crew;  some  of  them  are  not  fit  for  sea  service. 
From  the  enclosed  lists  '^  may  be  seen  how  many  officers  and  men  we  still 
have,  how  many  were  left  ashore,  how  many  we  should  have  according 
to  the  regulations  of  the  Admiralty  College,  and  how  many  we  need. 
The  ship's  rigging  is  in  bad  condition,  and  I  attach  the  report'*  made  by 
the  lower  officers  on  that  subject.  We  cannot  replace  it  because  we  have 
no  other  rigging.  Taking  all  these  things  into  consideration — my  illness, 
shortage  in  men,  food,  material — it  is  impossible  to  put  to  sea  for  the 
purpose  of  making  a  detailed  investigation  of  the  above-mentioned  lands, 
namely  the  one  we  discovered  and  the  one  opposite  the  Chukchi  country. 
I  am  going  to  ask  help  from  Captain  Spanberg  (who  is  now  at  Bolsheretsk 
with  five  ships).  If  he  himself  cannot  take  part  in  the  expedition,  he 
may  be  willing  to  give  us  a  navigator  or  an  assistant  navigator  and  pro- 
visions, a  list  of  which  I  have  made  out  and  sent  to  him.  If  I  should 
receive  assistance,  even  if  only  enough  to  repair  my  rigging,  and  if  I  am 
not  too  ill  I  will  do  my  duty  and  go  to  sea.  If  help  should  not  come  the 
best  thing  to  do  would  be  to  take  the  men  on  board  and  go  to  Okhotsk 
or  Yakutsk  and  wait  there  for  orders.  It  would  perhaps  be  better  to  go 
on  to  Yakutsk  so  as  not  to  use  up  the  provisions  at  Okhotsk,  where  they 
could  be  used  later  for  the  expedition. 

Should  it  be  the  wish  of  her  Imperial  Majesty  for  us  to  explore  the 
newly  discovered  land  as  well  as  that  part  which  is  supposed  to  lie 
opposite  the  Chukchi  country  and  (according  to  the  instructions  to 
Captain  Commander  Bering)  to  bring  the  inhabitants  under  Her  Imperial 
Majesty's  subjection,  it  would  be  necessary  to  increase  the  number  of 
men  on  the  ship  to  the  full  complement  as  laid  down  by  the  Admiralty 
College.  How  many  men  and  of  what  rank  they  should  be  is  indi- 
cated on  the  enclosed  list."  We  need  also  new  rigging,  spare  parts,  and 
a  number  of  other  things.  If  I  were  at  Yakutsk  to  hurry  the  material 
along  it  would  reach  here  more  quickly  than  by  my  waiting  for  it  in  these 
harbors.  If  I  should  receive  no  aid,  I,  with  the  assent  of  my  officers,  will 
do  the  best  that  we  can  for  the  interests  of  Her  Imperial  Majesty  and 
will  report  to  the  Admiralty  College. 

According  to  the  instructions  of  the  Admiralty  College  we  were  re- 
quired to  bring  to  St.  Petersburg  a  few  inhabitants  of  the  newly  dis- 
covered land,  or  of  land  we  might  discover  in  the  future.    We  could  not 

'5  Sec  p.  327. 

"  Not  published  here. 

"  See  p.  326. 


326      REPORT  ON  VOYAGE  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL" 

persuade  them  to  come,  and  to  force  them  against  their  will  without 
special  instructions  was  dangerous.  Not  having  any  of  these  people 
with  me  and  not  knowing  their  language  I  can  say  little  about  them.  It 
is  not  likely  that  they  will  come  on  board  willingly,  and  I  do  not  suppose 
Her  Imperial  Majesty  would  have  us  use  force.  For  that  purpose  a 
larger  crew  is  necessar>'  than  we  have  had  so  far. 

To  the  Admiraltj^  College  from  its  humble  servant. 


Captain  Alexei  Chirikov 


December  q,  1741 


Enclosures 


List  of  the  Complement  of  Men  on  My  Ship,  According  to  the  Regulation  of 

THE  Admiralty  College,  the  Number  on  Hand  (Besides  Those  Who 

Are  Unfit  for  Sea  Service),  the  Number  Needed,  and  Their  Rank 


Rank 

Captain 

Lieutenant 

Navigator 

Assistant  navigators 

Surgeon 

Assistant  surgeon 

Surgeon's  apprentices 

Boatswain 

Boatswain's  mates 

Quartermasters 

Purser 

Assistant  constable 

Cannoneers 

Copyist 

Assistant  storekeeper 

Sailors 

Calkers 

Sailmakers 

Carpenters 

Coopers 

Corporal 

Soldiers 

Drummer 

Monk 


Complement       Present 


3 
3 
3 
3 

I 
24 


Needed 


Total  75  54  21 

In  addition  we  need  a  boatswain's  mate  in  place  of  Evdokim  Fedorov. 

Captain  Alexei  Chirikov 


SUPPLEiMEXTARY  REPORT 


327 


List  of  Admiralty  Men,  Artillerists,  an'd  Siberians  of  Various  Ranks  Who 

Are  Registered  in  the  Harbor  of  the  Holy  Apostles  St.  Peter  and 

St.  P.\ul.    Some  of  these  men  are  on  hand  and  others  absent 


Absent 

Rank 

Registered 

Absent 

Present 

(a) 

w 

Cc) 

(d) 

Captain 

I 

I 

Ensigns 

2 

2 

Assistant  surgeon 

I 

I 

Surgeon's  apprentice 

I 

I 

Navigator 

I 

I 

Assistant  navigator 

I 

I 

Assistant  storekeeper 

I 

I 

Midshipman 

I 

I 

Clerk 

I 

I 

Copyist 

I 

I 

Boatswain's  mates 

2 

2 

Registrars 

2 

2 

Cannoneer  corporal 

I 

I 

Cannoneers           { -^^^^ 

2 
I 

2 
I 

Quartermaster 

I 

I 

Sailors 

1st  class 
2nd  class 

3 
3 

3 
3 

Ranked  as 
sailors 

Siberian      car- 
penters 
Workman 

2 

I 

2 
I 

Assistant  corpora 

I 

I 

Soldiers 

2 

I 

I 

I 

Carpenters 

4 

4 

Turner 

I 

I 

Blacksmiths 

Foreman 

I 

I 

Smiths 

2 

2 

Admiralty 

Cooper 

Assistant 
cooper  and 
Siberian 
carpenter 

Calkers 

Sailmakers 

I 

I 
2 
3 

I 

I 

2 

3 

Secretaries 

2 

2 

Siberian                 f  Drummer 
garrison             \  Soldiers 

I 

I 

19 

I 

I 

18 

From  Yakutsk  regiment 

8 

1 

I 

7 

Siberian  carpenters 

4 

z 

I 

3 

Employees  of  Kamchatka  posts 

2 

I 

I 

2 

2 

2 

Total 

83 

2 

6 

77 

Captain  Chirikov 


(a)  Sent  to  St.  Petersburg  with  a  report. 
(6)  Sent  to  buy  deer. 
ic)  Guard  the  deer  herds  at  Bolsheretsk. 
\d)  In  Lower  Kamchatka  Post. 


CHAPTER  IX 
THE  END  OF  THE  EXPEDITION 

Bering's  second  expedition  came  ofificially  to  an  end  in  1749, 
although  very  little  in  the  line  of  exploration  and  discovery  was 
done  after  1742.  Counting  from  the  time  when  Peter  the  Great 
signed  the  instructions  for  the  first  expedition,  twenty-five 
years  had  been  spent  in  the  attempt  to  solve  the  mysteries  of  the 
North  Pacific  and  the  Arctic.  Many  of  them  were  solved.  It 
was  proved  that  a  northeast  passage  was  impracticable;  that 
Novaya  Zemlya  was  not  a  jDeninsula;  that  the  Asiatic  coast 
extended  much  farther  to  the  eastward  than  was  supposed;  that 
Terra  de  leso,  Company  Land,  and  Gama  Land,  as  pictured  by 
the  cartographers,  did  not  exist;  that  Japan  was  an  island;  and 
that  the  American  coast  ran  in  a  northwesterly  direction  from 
Cape  Blanco.  In  brief,  it  made  clear  all  the  points  which  were  in 
doubt  at  the  time  of  Peter's  last  visit  to  Paris. 

Unfortunately,  the  one  question,  the  important  question,  the 
raison  d'etre  of  these  undertakings,  whether  Asia  and  America 
were  united,  was  not  answered, owing  to  the  fact  that  the  explorers 
along  the  Arctic  coast  were  unable  to  go  from  the  Kolyma  to  the 
Anadyr.  The  same  questions  were  asked  after  the  second  expe- 
dition as  at  the  end  of  the  first  expedition;  and  they  continued 
to  be  asked  until  another  Russian,  Baron  Ferdinand  Wrangell, 
answered  them  during  the  winters  of  1821  and  1823,  when  he 
walked  along  the  Arctic  shore  from  the  Kolyma  to  Kolyuchin 
Island,  a  place  that  had  been  charted  by  Billings,  of  the  Russian 
Navy,  in  1791.  So,  after  all,  Russia  did  solve  that  problem,  and 
to  her  belongs  the  credit. 

It  may  be  of  some  interest  to  the  reader  to  know  what  became 
of  the  of^cers  who  survi\ed  the  hard  voyage.  Chirikox-  passed 
the  winter  of  174 1-1742  at  Petropavlovsk,  and  in  the  spring  he 


FATE  OF  THE  OFFICERS  329 

sailed  on  the  St.  Paid  to  the  eastward  in  the  hope  of  finding  Bering 
and  locating  the  American  coast  opposite  East  Cape.  He  failed 
in  both  of  his  objects  largely  because  of  the  poor  health  of  his 
men,  the  poor  equipment,  and  the  unseaworthiness  of  his  ves- 
sel. He  did,  however,  reach  the  islands  of  Attu  and  Atka,  the 
first  being  a  new  discovery,  the  second  probably  a  resighting 
of  an  island  seen  by  Bering  on  September  25,  1741.  During 
the  summer  of  1742  he  sailed  for  Okhotsk,  where  he  left  the  St. 
Paul,  and  from  there  he  proceeded  inland.  He  remained  in 
Siberia  as  the  head  of  the  expedition  until  1745,  when  he  was 
asked  to  come  to  the  capital  and  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
captain  commander;  but  he  died  in  1748  as  a  result  of  a  disease 
contracted  on  the  voyage.  Waxel  left  Kamchatka  in  1743  for 
Okhotsk,  and  from  there  he  went  to  Yakutsk  and  Yeniseisk, 
where  he  found  Chirikov.  When  the  latter  was  called  to  St. 
Petersburg,  Waxel  assumed  command  until  he  was  summoned 
home.  There  he  was  made  captain  of  the  first  rank,  and  w' hen  he 
died  his  widow  was  granted  a  pension  of  2,000  rubles. 

Khitrov  was  made  rear-admiral  in  1753.  Ovtsin  in  1757  was 
in  command  of  the  Poltava,  holding  at  the  time  the  rank  of 
oberster  Kriegskommisar . 

All  others  who  took  part  in  these  expeditions  were  advanced 
one  grade  in  rank,  dating  from  July  15,  1744,  and  their  wages 
were  paid  accordingly.  The  Senate  requested  the  Admiralty 
College  to  reward  them  as  it  should  seem  best. 

When  Bering's  death  became  known  at  Kamchatka  his  private 
property  was  sold  at  auction  and  the  proceeds,  about  1,000  rubles, 
were  sent  to  his  family.  Whatever  wages  were  due  him  at  the 
time  of  his  death  were  also  paid  over  to  his  wife  and  children. 
In  addition  the  Senate  voted  him  a  reward  of  5,000  rubles. 


NOTE  TO  ACCOMPANY  THE  CHART  OF  THE  VOYAGE 

OF  BERING  AND  CHIRIKOV  FROM  KAMCHATKA 

TO  THE  ALASKAN  COAST  AND  RETURN,  1741i 

By  the  late 

Ellsworth  P.  Bertholf 

Captain-Commandant  U.  S.  Coast  Guard  (retired) 

The  tracks  of  both  vessels,  as  laid  down  on  the  accompanying 
chart  (PI.  I),  show  the  approximate  noon  positions  throughout 
the  voyage  and  indicate  the  several  portions  of  the  coast  and 
the  islands  sighted  or  examined  by  the  navigators.^ 

The  Joint  Voyage  of  the  "St.  Peter"  and  the  "St.  Paul" 

The  brigs  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul,  commanded  respectively  by 
Captain  Commander  Bering  and  Captain  Chirikov,  sailed  out  of 
Avacha  Bay,  Kamchatka,  on  June  4,  1741,  and  entered  on  their 
eventful  voyage  of  discovery.  Bering's  instructions  from  the 
Admiralty  College  required  that  he  should  steer  SE  by  E,  true, 
until  he  reached  latitude  46°  in  order  to  locateJuandeGama  Land, 
which,  according  to  the  map  of  the  astronomer  Louis  Delisle 
de  la  Croyere,  extended  to  the  47th  parallel  of  north  latitude.  If 
no  land  was  sighted  on  that  course  he  was  to  steer  E  by  N,  true, 
until  he  came  to  the  American  continent.  The  wind  being  fair, 
the  ships  were  able  to  make  good  the  true  course,  SE  by  E,  and 
found  themselves  on  June  12  in  latitude  46°.     No  land  being 

•  The  following  material  (translated  by  Professor  F.  A.  Golder)  was  made  use 
of  in  constructing  the  chart.  In  connection  with  the  St.  Peter:  (a)  Yushin's  log  book; 
(b)  Khitrov's  log  book;  (c)  the  report  of  Lieutenant  Waxel.  who  succeeded  to  the 
command  after  Bering's  death;  and  (d)  the  journal  of  the  naturalist  Steller  (pub- 
lished in  Vol.  II  of  the  present  work).  In  connection  with  the  St.  Paul:  (a)  the  log 
book,  (b)  the  daily  journal,  and  (c)  the  report  of  Captain  Chirikov.  [Captain  Bert- 
holf. shortly  before  his  sudden  death  in  November,  1921,  was  able  to  revise  a 
proof  of  the  chart.  As  it  now  stands  it  represents  his  final  judgment. — Edit.  Note.] 

-  In  the  course  of  several  tours  of  duty  in  Alaskan  waters,  as  executive  and  com- 
manding officer  in  the  U.  S.  Revenue  Cutter  Service  and  the  U.  S.  Coast  Guard, 
the  writer  became  familiar  with  the  coast  and  islands  of  that  territory,  and  this 
knowledge  has  been  of  great  help  to  him  in  identifying  the  land  sighted  by  Bering 
and  Chirikov. 


VOYAGE  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER"  331 

sighted  and  no  bottom  being  found  at  100  fathoms,  Bering,  on 
the  13th,  gave  the  order  to  change  the  course  to  E  by  N.  The 
wind  was  now  unfavorable,  but  the  vessels  continued  in  company 
until  the  20th,  when  stormy  weather  overtook  them  and  they 
became  separated  during  the  night.  Although  up  to  this  time 
the  vessels  had  exchanged  signals  almost  daily  and  had  frequently 
spoken  to  each  other  and  compared  positions,  nevertheless  the 
noon  positions  recorded  in  the  log  books  of  the  two  \essels  do  not 
always  agree  even  on  those  days  when  they  both  obtained  obser- 
vations of  the  sun.  On  June  10  both  vessels  took  observations 
within  sight  of  each  other,  but  the  St.  Peter  s  log  records  the 
latitude  as  47°  29',  while  the  St.  Paul's  log  gives  the  latitude  as 
47°  45'.  In  plotting  the  noon  position  of  the  vessels  while  in 
company  we  have  therefore  averaged  the  positions  recorded  in 
the  two  log  books. 

On  June  20  the  wind  was  strong  from  the  eastward  with  a 
heavy  sea  running,  and  both  vessels  were  under  short  sail.  The 
St.  Peter's  log  for  that  day  records  that  at  10  p.m.  the  St.  Paul  bore 
N\V  distant  2  miles,  and  that  at  i  a.m.  the  latter  was  no  longer 
within  sight,  in  consequence  of  which  the  St.  Peter  hove  to.  The 
log  of  the  St.  Paul  for  June  20  records  that  at  3  a.m.  the  St.  Peter 
was  ID  miles  distant,  and  at  5  .\.m.  she  began  to  disappear  from 
sight,  whereupon  the  St.  Paul  hove  to,  and  both  vessels,  being 
hove  to  on  the  port  tack,  drifted  to  the  southward  and  west- 
ward. The  following  day  the  weather  moderated,  and  in 
accordance  with  Bering's  previous  instructions  each  vessel  began 
to  search  for  the  other  in  the  direction  in  which  the  other  was  last 
seen.  Bering  believed  the  St.  Paul  to  be  northwest  of  him  and 
began  his  search  in  that  direction.  Chirikov,  however,  reckoned 
the  St.  Peter  to  be  north-northeast  of  him  and  endeavored  to 
search  in  that  direction,  but  as  the  wind  was  from  that  same 
quarter  the  St.  Paul  made  little  progress. 

The  Separate  Voyage  of  the  "St.  Peter" 

Bering  searched  for  the  St.  Paul  until  the  22nd  and  then 
resumed  the  voyage ;  but,  after  taking  council  with  his  officers,  he 


332  NOTE  TO  ACCOMPANY  THE  CHART 

decided  to  shape  again  his  course  to  the  southward',  as  far  as 
latitude  46°  in  order  to  make  another  attempt  to  locate  the 
elusive  Gama  Land.  Noon  of  the  25th  found  the  ship  in  latitude 
45°i6',  with  clear  weather  and  no  land  in  sight.  This  finally  con- 
vinced Bering  that  the  map  of  Delisle  de  la  Croyere  was  incorrect 
and  that  Juan  de  Gama  Land  did  not  exist,  and  consequently  he 
changed  the  course  to  E  by  N,  true.  He  had  fair  winds  and  made 
good  progress,  but  no  land  being  sighted  by  July  6  he  began  to 
keep  more  to  the  northward.  On  July  14,  being  fearful  of 
the  water  supply,  a  council  of  the  officers  was  called,  and  it  was 
decided  to  steer  more  towards  the  north,  in  the  hope  of  reach- 
ing some  land  where  the  empty  water  casks  might  be  refilled. 

DISCOVERY  OF  LAND 

At  noon  July  16  (the  end  of  the  log  book  da>^),  the  ship  was  in 
latitude  58°  17'  by  observation.  Thirty  minutes  later  land  was 
sighted,  high  mountains  covered  with  snow,  and  at  I  p.m., 
July  17,  a  particularly  high  snow-covered  mountain  bore  N  by 
W.  This  was  Mt.  St.  Elias,  Bering's  first  glimpse  of  the  American 
continent,  at  a  distance  of  about  120  nautical  miles.  The  longi- 
tude according  to  the  reckoning  was  151°  26'  W,  but  this  was 
more  than  9°  in  error,  the  correct  approximate  longitude  of  the 
St.  Peter  at  noon  July  16  having  been  142°  10'  W.  These  early 
navigators  were  sailing  unknown  seas  and  had  no  means  of  know- 
ing that  during  the  greater  part  of  their  voyage  a  current  set 
them  constantly  to  the  eastward.  The  errors  in  reckoning  the 
ship's  position  were  due  in  small  part  to  crude  methods  and  lack 
of  instruments,  and  in  a  larger  part  to  the  unknown  currents.  In 
plotting  the  positions  of  Bering  and  Chirikov  we  have  endeav- 
ored to  make  due  allowance  for  these  currents. 

'  While  the  civil  day  begins  at  midnight  and  ends  the  following  midnight,  the 
astronomical  day  is  reckoned  from  noon  to  noon.  The  log  books  of  the  St.  Peter 
and  the  St.  Paul  were  kept  according  to  the  astronomical  date,  and  the  log  date  of 
July  16  begins  at  noon  July  is  and  ends  at  noon  July  16.  The  civil  date  coincides 
with  the  log  date  during  the  hours  of  the  forenoon,  but  during  the  hours  of  the 
afternoon  the  log  date  is  one  day  in  advance  of  the  civil  date.  The  St.  Peter's  log 
book  records  that  land  was  sighted  July  17  at  12.30  p.m.,  or  30  minutes  after  that 
day  began;  the  civil  date  was  July  16,  12.30  p.m.  (Russian  calendar). 


VOYAGE  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER"  333 

In  apprdaching  land  the  vessel  made  slow  progress  against  the 
light  head  winds  prevailing,  and  on  the  1 8th  foggy  weather 
obliged  Bering  to  proceed  with  caution.  No  land  was  seen  that 
day,  although  there  were  many  indications  that  the  shore  was 
close  aboard.  At  8  p.m.  on  the  19th  the  fog  lifted,  and  the  St. 
Peter  found  herself  in  the  bight  to  the  eastward  of  Kayak  Island, 
with  the  southern  point  of  the  island  and  its  detached  Pinnacle 
Rock  in  plain  view  bearing  SW  by  W.  During  the  night  the  ship 
was  worked  around  the  point,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  20th  the 
St.  Peter  dropped  her  anchor  on  the  west  side  of  Kayak  Island 
about  midway  of  its  length.  Bering  named  the  island  St.  Elias, 
and  the, southern  point  Cape  St.  Elias.  The  two  boats  were  put 
overboard,  and  men  were  sent  ashore  to  fill  the  empty  casks. 
Khitrov  sounded  out  the  passage  bervveen  Kayak  and  Wingham 
Islands  to  find  sheltered  anchorage  in  case  of  need;  he  also 
landed  and  examined  Wingham  Island. 

SKIRTING  THE  ALASKAN  COAST 

The  next  morning  at  daybreak,  the  wind  being  fair,  Bering, 
taking  into  consideration  the  lateness  of  the  season  and  the  signs 
of  scurvy  among  the  crew,  gave  orders  to  weigh  anchor  and  begin 
the  return  voyage.  After  leaving  Kayak  Island  early  in  the 
morning  of  July  21,  the  St.  Peter  made  Cape  Hinchinbrook, 
opened  out  the  passage  into  Prince  William  Sound,  and  then 
hauled  to  the  southward  along  Montague  Island.  The  ofificers 
took  bearings  of  the  Wooded  Islands,  and  at  noon  of  the  22nd 
the  ship  was  just  below  Cape  Cleare  and  about  25  miles  distant. 
The  weather  being  thick  no  land  was  seen  on  the  23rd,  24th, 
and  25th,  although  on  the  24th  the  course  was  changed  more  to 
the  westward  in  order  to  draw  near  to  land.  At  4  a.m.  on  July 
26  they  suddenly  made  high  land  bearing  NE  by  N  distant  about 
8  miles  and  got  bottom  at  35  fathoms.  This  was  Black  Point, 
the  southern  point  of  Sitkalidak  Island. "^  After  sighting  Black 
Point,  the  St.  Peter  stood  about  due  south  until  noon,  covering  a 

*  It  has  been  stated  that  Bering  named  the  point  Cape  St.  Hermogenes,  but  no 
mention  of  this  is  made  in  any  of  the  ship's  records  or  in  Steller's  diary. 


334     NOTE  TO  ACCOMPANY  THE  CHART 

distance  of  some  32  miles,  and  then  hauled  more  to  the  westward 
until  noon  of  the  27th.  Frequent  soundings  were  taken  and  the 
water  shoaled  to  35  fathoms.  The  weather  being  thick,  no  land 
was  seen  after  leaving  Black  Point,  but  at  noon  of  the  27th  Bering 
decided  that  they  were  getting  too  near  the  land  and  hauled  to 
the  southward  and  eastward  to  work  offshore  until  the  weather 
cleared.^ 

From  noon  of  the  27th  until  noon  of  the  31st  the  St.  Peter  stood 
off  shore  in  a  general  southeasterly  direction.  On  the  31st  the 
weather  cleared,  and  shortly  before  noon  the  course  was  changed 
to  the  northward  and  westward  in  order  to  get  in  touch  with  the 
land.  Towards  evening  of  August  2,  a  heavy  fog  set  in,  and  the 
vessel  was  again  headed  offshore  as  the  water  had  shoaled  to  30 
fathoms.  At  i  a.m.  the  fog  temporarily  cleared  and  disclosed  land 
close  aboard  bearing  SE  by  S.  The  log  records  that  a  sounding 
shoaled  20  fathoms,  whereupon  the  ship  was  put  about  and 
anchored  in  18  fathoms  to  await  daylight.  Steller  records  this 
incident  in  his  diary  as  follows:  "About  one  o'clock  in  the  night 
it  was  discovered  on  heaving  the  lead  that  the  boat  was  in  4 

5  Mr.  George  Davidson  in  his  "The  Tracks  and  Landfalls  of  Bering  and  Chirikof , 
on  the  Northwest  Coast  of  America,"  San  Francisco,  1901,  concluded  that  the 
St.  Peter,  after  leaving  Black  Point,  passed  through  Douglas  Channel  between  the 
Trinity  Islands  and  the  southern  end  of  Kodiak  Island.  There  is  nothing  in  the 
original  records  to  support  that  conclusion,  while  there  is  much  evidence  to  the 
contrary.  After  sighting  Black  Point  at  4  a.m.,  July  26,  the  St.  Peter  made  32  miles 
due  south  up  to  noon  and  was  then  some  25  miles  to  the  eastward  of  Douglas 
Channel.  From  this  point  the  vessel  turned  to  the  westward,  and  if  she  did  indeed 
pass  through  this  channel  she  must  have  done  so  between  noon  and  9  p.m.  be- 
cause at  that  hour  the  course  was  changed  to  WSW,  true.  From  noon  to  i  P.M.  the 
St.  Peter  made  SW  by  S,  true;  from  i  to  2  p.m.,  SWJ^VV,  true;  from  2  to  3  P.M., 
W  by  S,  true;  and  from  3  to  gEP.M.,  VVJ^S,  true,  covering  from  noon  until  9  P.M.  a 
distance  of  29  miles  according  to  the  log.  All  this  time  soundings  were  taken  fre- 
quently, but  no  depth  less  than  35  fathoms  is  recorded.  As  the  water  in  Douglas 
Channel  shoals  to  7  fathoms,  it  is  clear  the  ship  could  not  have  reached  the  nar- 
rowest part  of  the  channel  by  9  p.m.  From  9  p.m.  to  1 1  p.m.  the  course  was  WSW, 
true;  from  11  p.m.  until  daylight  the  course  was  generally  SW,  true;  and  at  mid- 
night they  sounded  in  40  fathoms.  If  the  exact  position  of  the  St.  Peter  at  noon  on 
the  26th  was  such  that  the  courses  steered  between  noon  and  9  p.m.  carried  her  in 
the  direction  of  Douglas  Channel,  then  at  9  p.m.  she  must  have  been  in  the  immedi- 
ate vicinity  of  the  eastern  entrance  to  the  channel,  because  the  soundings  show  she 
had  not  passed  through  the  channel  up  to  9  p.m.  Being  in  that  position  at  9  p.m., 
the  course  steered  after  that  hour  would  have  put  the  ship  ashore  on  the  Trinity 
Islands. 

By  plotting  on  the  modern  chart  the  hourly  runs  of  the  St.  Peter  from  4  a.m., 
July  26,  until  noon  of  July  27,  making  due  allowance  for  the  tides  and  currents  and 


VOYAGE  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER"  335 

fathoms  of  water,  but  it  was  otherwise  reported  to  the  captain. 
Gradually  the  ship  worked  out  of  this  into  i8  and  20  fathoms, 
where  anchor  was  dropped  to  wait  for  daylight." 

This  was  Chirikov  Island,  and  at  daylight  the  bearings  showed 
the  ship  was  anchored  about  i>^  miles  off  the  northern  end.  They 
named  this  island  Tumannoi  (foggy).  Towards  evening  of  the3rd 
the  anchor  was  raised,  and  the  St.  Peter  stood  to  the  northward 
and  westward.  At  3  p.m.  of  August  4  Mt.  Chiginigak  was  sighted, 
and  at  8  p.m.  the  officers  made  out  the  mainland  from  Cape  Provi- 
dence to  Chignik  Bay,  with  Sutwik  Island  in  plain  view.  The 
\-essel  was  now  working  to  the  southward;  but  the  wind  had 
fallen  to  light  variable  airs,  and  she  made  little  progress  during 
the  night.  In  the  morning  the  wind  freshened  from  the  east- 
ward ,  and  at  noon  August  4,  according  to  the  bearings,  the  St. 
Peter  was  5  miles  to  the  eastward  of  Anowik  Island  of  the  Semidi 
group.  The  largest  and  most  northerly  island  of  the  group  must 
have  been  hidden  by  the  fog,  as  both  the  log  and  Waxel's  report 
state  that  only  five  islands  were  seen.  Owing  to  the  fog,  un- 
steady winds,  and  numerous  islands,  Bering  decided  to  work  off- 
noting  at  the  proper  intervals  the  soundings  recorded  in  the  log,  it  at  once  be- 
comes apparent  that  the  vessel  passed  to  the  southward  of  the  Trinity  Islands  and 
at  noon  of  the  27th  was  about  is  miles  south  of  Tugidak  Island.  Mr.  Davidson 
states  that  at  night  the  vessel  found  herself  in  shoal  water,  tossed  by  heavy  cur- 
rent rips.  This  would  indeed  have  been  the  case  had  she  passed  through  Douglas 
Channel  with  the  SE  storm  prevailing,  but  there  is  no  entry  in  the  log  indicating 
any  unusual  conditions.  At  7  and  8  p.m.  the  log  records  depths  of  35  and  40  fathoms, 
and  at  9  p.m.  is  the  following  entr>':  "Sounded,  but  no  bottom.  We  are  in  danger 
of  running  on  sand  banks  and  therefore  cannot  keep  close  to  land,  hence  have  kept 
off  a  few  points."  At  that  hour  the  course  was  changed  to  WSW,  true;  and  at  mid- 
night, having  found  bottom  at  40  fathoms,  the  vessel  was  hauled  off  to  SW,  true. 
Waxel  makes  no  mention  of  unusually  shoal  water  at  this  time,  and  Steller,  who  was 
an  exceptionally  keen  observer  and  painstaking  recorder  of  events,  makes  only  the 
following  comment  in  his  diary  covering  the  26th  and  27th:  "These  gentlemen 
(the  navigators)  thought  it  necessary'  always  to  hug  the  coast,  instead  of  which  it 
might  have  been  better  after  sailing  a  hundred  versts  to  try  and  go  north  one  or 
two  degrees.  Their  navigation  and  a  small  storm  drove  us  during  the  night  of  July 
27  on  a  bank  so  fathoms  under  water,  that  stretched  out  from  the  shore  into  the 
sea,  but  the  land  itself,  to  our  great  fortune,  was  so  distant  as  not  to  be  seen." 
Steller  apparently  seized  every  opportunity  to  criticize  Bering  and  the  navigators. 
On  more  than  one  occasion  he  recites  that  shoal  water  and  other  unusual  events  were 
kept  from  the  knowledge  of  the  Captain  and  suppressed  from  the  log.  and  it  is 
fair  to  assume  that  if  the  Si.  Peter  had  passed  through  Douglas  Channel  on  the 
stormy  night  of  the  27th,  Steller  would  not  have  failed  to  note  the  unusual  condi- 
tions and  record  them  in  his  diar>'. 


336     NOTE  TO  ACCOMPANY  THE  CHART 

shore  and,  after  sighting  the  Semidi  Islands,  stood  to  the  south- 
ward until  August  ID  when  he  concluded  to  work  to  the  westward 
along  the  53rd  parallel  of  latitude.  But  he  now  experienced  a 
succession  of  head  winds  and  storms  and  made  so  little  progress 
on  the  homeward  voyage  that  on  the  27th  he  again  became 
troubled  over  the  water  supply  and  called  a  council  of  the  officers. 
There  were  but  25  casks  of  fresh  water  remaining  in  the  hold,  and 
if  the  westerly  winds  continued  for  any  length  of  time  they  could 
not  hope  to  reach  Avacha  Bay  before  the  water  supply  was 
exhausted.  According  to  the  reckoning  land  was  about  240  miles^ 
distant,  and  it  was  agreed  "for  safety's  sake,  to  go  nearer  the  land 
with  a  view  to  finding  good  anchorage  where  we  might  take  on 
waterenough  to  last  until  our  return  so  that  in  case  of  head  winds 
we  should  not  suffer  extremely." 

LANDING  ON  THE  SHUMAGIN  ISLANDS 

Accordingly,  on  August  27,  the  ship  was  headed  to  the  north- 
ward; on  the  29th,  shortly  after  daylight,  a  group  of  islands 
came  into  view,  and  on  the  afternoon  of  the  30th  the  St.  Peter 
anchored  between  Near  Island  and  Nagai  Island  of  the  Shumagin 
group.  The  following  morning  the  task  of  filling  the  empty  water 
casks  was  begun,  and  Khitrov  was  sent  ashore  to  examine  the 
land  in  the  vicinity  of  a  fire:,which  had  been  seen  the  night  before.^ 
Steller  went  ashore  with  the  water  party  to  pursue  his  studies,  the 
results  of  which  he  has  minutely  recorded  in  his  diary. 

On  September  i  the  work  of  filling  the  water  casks  was  com- 
pleted, and  the  sick  men  were  brought  on  board  in  the  longboat; 
but  the  wind  had  freshened  and  kicked  up  a  sea,  and  Khitrov, 
who  had  landed  in  the  small  boat  and  extended  his  explorations 
some  distance  along  the  shores  of  Nagai  Island,  was  unable  to 
return  to  the  ship.    Towards  noon  of  the  2nd  the  weather  moder- 

5  "60  German  miles." 

'  There  were  now  ten  of  the  ship's  company  down  with  the  scurvy,  and  these 
men  were  sent  ashore  for  rest  and  fresh  air;  but  one  of  the  sick  seamen,  Nikita 
Shumagin,  died  just  after  he  was  landed.  He  was  buried  on  shore,  and  in  his 
memory  Bering  named  the  island  Shumagin.  But  the  name  has  come  down  to  us 
as  applied  to  this  entire  group,  and  the  particular  island  which  Bering  named 
Shumagin  is  now  known  as  Nagai  Island. 


VOYAGE  OF  THP:  "ST.  PETER"  337 

ated  somewhat,  and  the  longboat  was  sent  ashore  for  Khitrov 
and  his  party,  but,  owing  to  the  fog  and  squally  weather,  the 
party  did  not  return  until  the  forenoon  of  the  3rd.  Khitrov 
reported  finding  the  place  where  the  fire  had  been  and  many 
signs  of  human  beings  but  had  seen  no  people. 

Just  before  noon  of  the  3rd  the  St.  Peter  got  under  way,  but 
the  wind  fell  to  light  airs  from  the  SW,  and,  being  unable  to  work 
out  to  sea,  Bering  anchored  off^  the  north  end  of  Bird  Island  on 
the  evening  of  the  4th.  The  following  morning  they  again 
attempted  to  get  to  sea;  but  the  wind  was  baffling  and  the  cur- 
rent against  them,  and  in  the  afternoon  of  the  5th  Bering  again 
anchored  close  to  Bird  Island.  Scarcely  had  the  anchor  been 
dropped  when  human  voices  were  heard  from  the  shore;  soon 
two  6cic^r^a5,  or  skin  boats,  with  one  man  in  each,  approached 
the  St.  Peter,  and  Bering  and  his  ship's  company  had  their  first 
glimpse  of  the  people  who  inhabited  the  land  they  had  dis- 
covered. The  longboat  was  lowered,  and  a  party  went  ashore  to 
distribute  presents  and  interview  the  natives.  The  account  of 
this  incident,  as  given  in  the  log  and  in  Steller's  diary,  will  be 
found  very  interesting. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  6th  another  attempt  was  made  to  get 
to  sea;  but  it  was  unsuccessful,  and  the  St.  Peter  was  obliged 
to  return  to  the  anchorage  off  Bird  Island.  The  following  morn- 
ing the  St.  Peter  sailed  around  the  northern  end  of  the  island, 
passed  out  to  sea  through  Otter  Strait  between  Bird  and  Cherna- 
bura  Islands,  and  by  noon  was  clear  of  the  land,  standing  to 
the  southward.  This  course  was  held  until  the  8th,  when  Bering 
again  turned  to  the  westward  along  the  53rd  parallel.  The  wind 
still  held  from  the  westward  and  the  progress  towards  Avacha 
was  necessarily  slow. 

LANDFALL  OF  ADAK  AND  ATKA  ISLANDS 

On  September  22  an  observation  of  the  sun  gave  their  latitude 
as  50°  27',  and  the  vessel  was  headed  more  to  the  northward 
to  work  towards  the  53rd  parallel.  On  the  24th  they  got  another 
sight  of  the  sun  at  noon  and  found  themselves  in  latitude  51° 


33B     NOTE  TO  ACCOMPANY  THE  CHART 

30'.  A  few  hours  later,  3  p.m.  of  September  25,  land  was  signted; 
one  point  of  land  bore  W  by  S,  another  point  bore  ENE,  and 
a  high  snow-covered  mountain,  which  they  concluded  was  on  the 
mainland,  bore  NW  by  W>^W.  They  sounded  and  got  no 
bottom,  but  nevertheless  the  ship  was  put  about  and  pointed  off 
shore.  According  to  our  adjustments  for  errors  in  reckoning  and 
currents,  the  St.  Peter  was  in  longitude  175°  23'  W,  and  the 
snow-covered  mountain  was  the  5,000-foot  peak  on  Great  Sitkin 
Island.  The  land  seen  to  the  westward  was  the  south  shore  of 
Adak  Island  or  one  of  the  small  islands  close  by,  and  to  the  east- 
ward they  saw  the  shores  of  Atka  Island.  No  name  was  given 
in  the  log  to  the  land  sighted  on  the  25th. 

BESET  BY  STORMS  AND  SCURVY 

A  series  of  westerly  gales  now  set  in  which  continued  with 
varying  violence,  driving  the  ship  to  the  eastward,  until  October 
II.  On  September  30  a  particularly  violent  gale  broke  upon  the 
little  craft  and  rendered  her  all  but  helpless  for  two  days.  Steller 
records  that  "We  had  never  experienced  the  like  of  it  before,  and 
it  is  hard  to  even  imagine  it.  We  expected  to  be  smashed  to 
pieces  any  minute;  we  could  neither  stand,  sit,  nor  lie  down.  No 
one  stood  his  watch,  and  the  storm  drove  the  ship  where  it  willed. 
Half  of  our  crew  were  sick  and  feeble,  and  the  other  half  were 
on  their  feet  only  because  they  had  to  be,  but  on  account  of  the 
storm  and  the  violent  motion  of  boat  were  out  of  their  heads." 

On  October  1 1  the  weather  moderated  and  a  noon  observation 
of  the  sun  was  obtained.  The  St.  Peter  was  in  latitude  48°  15', 
longitude  168°  25'  W,  having  been  driven  some  350  miles  south- 
east from  the  landfall  of  September  25.  On  October  12  they  made 
fair  progress  to  the  westward,  but  another  storm  forced  them  to 
the  northward  until  the  15th,  when  the  wind  again  permitted 
working  to  the  westward.  The  scurvy  was  now  in  full  swing;  32 
of  the  ship's  company  were  ill,  several  had  died,  and  deaths  were 
occurring  almost  daily.  Bering  himself  was  affected  and, 
although  he  had  found  some  temporary  relief  in  the  antiscorbutic 
plants  gathered  by  Steller  on  the  Shumagin  Islands,  he  gradually 


VOYAGE  OF  THE  "ST.  PETER"       339 

grew  worse.    On  October  18  he  was  unable  to  leave  his  bed  and 
from  that  date  was  carried  on  the  sick  list. 

LANDFALLS  OF  KISKA  AND  BULDIR  ISLANDS 

On  October  23  the  course  was  changed  more  to  the  northward 
in  order  to  regain  the  53rd  parallel;  and  at  8  a.m.  on  the  25th 
a  high,  rocky,  and  treeless  island  was  sighted  in  the  northwest 
which  VVaxel  in  his  report  states  they  named  St.  Markiana.  This 
was  Kiska  Island,  the  approximate  position  of  the  St.  Peter 
being  latitude  31°  11',  longitude  178°  23'  E. 

Passing  to  the  northward  and  westward  beyond  Kiska  Island 
the  St.  Peter  encountered  the  heaxy  tide  rips  frequently  met  with 
in  that  vicinity,  and  at  daylight  on  October  28  was  close  to  Buldir 
Island.  Steller  records  in  his  diary  that  "it  was  quite  evident 
we  were  in  a  strait  because  the  waves,  even  in  stormy  weather, 
were  not  so  high."  Early  in  the  morning  of  the  28th  signs  of 
land  were  observed;  and,  the  weather  being  foggy,  the  vessel 
was  put  under  short  sail.  Shortly  after  daylight  the  fog  cleared 
and  disclosed  a  small  island  directly  in  the  path  of  the  vessel  not 
more  than  3  miles  distant.  The  log  records  that  early  in  the 
morning  one  of  the  ship's  company,  Stephen  Buldirev,  died,  and 
his  body  was  lowered  into  the  sea  after  land  was  sighted.  Waxel 
states  in  his  report  that  they  named  the  island  St.  Stephen;  the 
modern  name  is  Buldir. 

LANDING  ON  BERING  ISLAND 

The  wind  was  now  fair,  and  the  St.  Peter  steered  between  W 
and  WNW,  true,  until  10  a.m.  the  following  morning,  October  29, 
when  another  island  was  sighted  which  they  named  St.  Abraham. 
This  was  the  eastern  of  the  Semichi  Islands.  The  St.  Peter  passed 
to  the  northward  of  these  islands  and  the  island  of  Attu,  and  on 
the  morning  of  November  4  the  eastern  island  of  the  Commander 
group  was  sighted.  At  first  it  was  believed  the  land  was  Kam- 
chatka, but  after  rounding  the  southern  point  they  realized  their 
error.  By  this  time  conditions  on  board  were  pitiful.  Twelve  of 
the  crew  had  already  died,  and  of  the  remaining  65  Waxel  reports 


340     NOTE  TO  ACCOMPANY  THE  CHART 

that  there  were  only  eight  who,  with  great  pain,  could  help  them- 
selves, and  only  three  of  these  were  able  to  be  on  deck.  Bering 
called  into  consultation  such  of  the  ofificers  and  men  as  were  able 
to  drag  themselves  into  the  cabin;  and,  being  convinced  they 
would  not  be  able  to  handle  the  ship  in  the  event  of  a  storm,  it 
was  decided  immediately  to  seek  an  anchorage  where  they  might 
winter  on  shore  and  rid  themselves  of  the  dreadful  disease  that 
had  gripped  the  ship's  company. 

The  St.  Peter  was  therefore  worked  over  to  Bering  Island,  and 
on  November  6  a  small  anchor  was  dropped  in  12  fathoms  of 
water.  The  cable  parted,  and  another  small  anchor  was  let  go; 
but  this  cable  parted  also,  and  by  the  time  the  heavy  anchor 
could  be  got  overboard  to  hold  the  ship  the  fresh  easterly 
breeze  had  carried  her  into  4>^  fathoms,  close  to  the  shore.  The 
longboat  was  lowered,  and  the  task  of  getting  the  sick  men  ashore 
was  begun;  but  with  the  very  few  men  who  were  able  to  move 
about  this  was  not  completed  until  the  15th,  and  meanwhile  the 
scurvy  had  claimed  seven  more  victims. 

A  narrow  section  of  sandy  beach  was  discovered  near  the  camp, 
and  it  was  decided  to  haul  the  St.  Peter  ashore  at  this  place,  where 
they  might  secure  her  against  the  winter  storms.  It  was  found, 
however,  that  there  was  no  sufficient  strength  left  in  the  crew 
even  to  raise  the  anchor,  and  the  ship  remained  where  they  left 
her  until  November  28,  when  a  heavy  gale  drove  her  ashore  and 
wrecked  her  on  the  very  beach  where  they  had  planned  to  lay 
her  up. 

Bering  was  very  ill  when  he  was  carried  ashore  on  November  8 
and  realized  that  he  could  not  last  many  days;  but  he  retained 
his  mind  and  power  of  speech  and  continued  to  direct  affairs  to 
the  end.  At  2  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  December  8,  1 741,  he 
passed  away,  and  his  comrades  reverently  interred  his  remains 
on  the  island  that  bears  his  name  and  marked  the  spot  with  a 
cross. 

With  the  fresh  water  and  fresh  meat  which  they  were  able  to 
procure  on  shore  the  health  of  the  men  rapidly  improved,  and  by 
Christmas  most  of  them  were  on  their  feet  again.     As  they 


VOYAGE  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL"  341 

regained  their  strength  Waxel,  who  had  succeeded  to  the  com- 
mand, sent  out  exploring  parties,  which  reported  that  they  were 
on  an  island  and  that  the  Kamchatka  coast  was  not  far  distant. 

RETURN  TO  PETROPAVLOVSK 

In  the  spring  they  began  to  break  up  the  St.  Peter  to  build  a 
small  craft  to  carry  them  to  the  mainland.  On  August  10  the 
boat  was  launched,  and  preparations  were  made  to  leave  the 
island.  This  boat  was  36  feet  long,  with  a  beam  of  12  feet  and  a 
depth  of  5>4  feet,  sloop-rigged  with  a  bowsprit.  They  named 
her  the  St.  Peter  and  in  this  small  craft  Waxel  loaded  his  45  men 
together  with  food,  water,  and  baggage,  and  set  sail  from  Bering 
Island  on  August  13.  On  the  15th  the  hooker  began  to  leak 
badly;  but  the  carpenter  managed  to  patch  up  the  hole,  and  they 
kept  on.  On  August  27  they  sailed  into  the  harbor  of  Petro- 
pavlovsk.  Of  the  77  officers  and  men  who  left  on  the  St.  Peter 
fourteen  months  before  only  45  returned,  and  these  had  suffered 
shipwreck  and  untold  hardships;  but  their  misfortunes  did  not 
end  with  their  safe  return,  for  they  soon  learned  that  they  had 
been  given  up  as  lost  and  that  the  personal  property  they  had 
left  behind  had  been  appropriated  by  the  inhabitants  of  Avacha! 
Truly  the  lot  of  those  early  explorers  was  not  altogether  a  happy 
one. 

The  Separate  Voyage  of  the  "St.  Paul" 

When  the  weather  moderated  on  the  morning  of  June  21, 
Chirikov  reckoned  that  the  St.  Peter  was  NNE  from  him  and 
began  his  search  in  that  direction;  but  the  wind  was  ahead,  and 
little  progress  could  be  made.  On  the  23rd  he  gave  up  the 
search  and  resumed  the  E  by  N  course  agreed  upon.  On  July  i, 
no  land  having  been  sighted,  Chirikov  steered  more  to  the 
northward.  Both  vessels  had  been  favored  with  fair  winds  since 
they  parted  company;  but,  as  Bering  had  stood  south  to  the  45th 
parallel  before  resuming  the  easterly  course,  the  St.  Paul  was 
considerably  in  advance  of  the  St.  Peter,  and  Chirikov's  noon 
position  on  July  I  was  within  30  miles  of  Bering's  noon  position 
on  July  8. 


342  NOTE  TO  ACCOMPANY  THE  CHART 

DISCOVERY  OF  LAND 

On  July  14  large  numbers  of  shore  ducks  and  gulls  indicated 
that  land  was  not  far  distant,  and  at  daybreak  on  the  15th  the 
land  to  the  northward  of  Dixon's  Entrance  was  sighted.  At  3 
A.M.  Capes  Addington  and  Bartolome  were  in  plain  sight;  but, 
the  wind  being  very  light,  it  was  not  until  noon  that  the  St.  Paul 
could  be  worked  in  under  the  shores  of  Cape  Addington.  In  the 
afternoon  of  the  16th  a  boat  was  sent  to  examine  the  bay  between 
the  two  capes;  but,  finding  the  anchorage  unprotected  from  the 
west  and  south  winds,  Chirikov  stood  offshore  when  the  breeze 
freshened  at  sundown.  At  daylight  the  course  was  changed  to 
the  northward,  and  the  St.  Paul  passed  outside  the  Hazy  Islands, 
which  were  sighted  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  forenoon.  An  hour  later 
the  highland  of  Cape  Ommaney  loomed  up  through  the  mist, 
and  at  noon,  July  16,  the  St.  Paul  was  under  the  hills  of  Puffln 
Point.  Chirikov  now  paralleled  the  coast  until  9  P.M.  of  the 
17th,  keeping  from  three  to  four  miles  from  the  shore,  and  then 
hauled  ofTshore  until  il  p.m.  when  he  hove  to  until  daylight. 
From  noon  until  8  p.m.  of  the  17th  the  vessel  logged  a  distance  of 
36  knots;  adding  to  this  a  favorable  current  of  about  one  knot 
per  hour  would  place  the  St.  Paul  at  8  p.m.  abreast  that  part  of 
the  coast  where  the  land  falls  away  to  form  the  southern  shores 
of  Sitka  Sound,  and  the  log  records  that  at  8  p.m.  the  "coast  seemed 
to  end  in  N^E,  distant  8  knots,  and  in  its  place  appeared 
low  land  with  sea  clifTs,  with  the  high  mountains  receding  in  the 
background."  An  hour  later  the  St.  Paul's  course  was  changed 
to  WNW>:iW,  true,  for  two  hours.  At  ii  p.m.  she  was  hove  to, 
and  at  daylight  the  course  parallel  to  the  coast  was  resumed.  All 
this  time  the  current  was  setting  to  the  northward  along  the 
coast  so  that  the  St.  Paid  passed  Sitka  Sound  in  the  night  and 
was  well  north  of  Cape  Edgecumbe  at  daylight.  Indeed  the 
log  records  at  9  a.m.  on  the  17th  a  cape  to  the  SE,  which  could 
be  no  other  than  Cape  Edgecumbe.  At  the  same  time  another 
point  of  land  (Cape  Cross)  loomed  up  about  NNW;  Chirikov's 
observation  on  the  17th  gave  the  noon  latitude  as  57°  39';  the 
bearings  at  noon  as  given  in  the  log  and  the  courses  and  distances 


VOYAGE  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL"  343 

run  since  the  previous  noon,  augmented  by  allowance  for  current, 
all  coincide  in  fixing  the  position  of  the  St.  Paul  at  noon,  July  17, 
as  abreast  Cape  Edward,  and  about  ten  miles  offshore.  At  3 :30 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  July  18  the  longboat  was  lowered  and 
Fleet  Master  Dementiev  with  ten  armed  men  was  sent  to  exam- 
ine the  shore.  Comprehensive  instructions  were  given  him, 
which  are  fully  set  forth  in  Chirikov's  report,  and  Dementiev 
was  to  signal  with  a  rocket  as  soon  as  he  landed. 


LOSS  OF  TWO  LANDING  PARTIES 

In  his  report  Chirikov  states  "we  had  no  signal  of  any  kind  from 
him.  We  saw  them  approach  the  shore,  and  that  is  all."  For 
five  days  the  St.  Paul  kept  as  near  the  bay  as  possible,  waiting  for 
the  boat  to  return,  i^t  first  the  weather  was  such  that  the  long- 
boat could  ha\e  come  off  without  trouble,  but  later  they  had 
strong  winds  that  at  times  carried  the  ship  a  distance  of  30  miles. 
On  July  23  the  St.  Paul  returned  and  upon  approaching  the  bay 
saw  a  fire  which  they  thought  had  been  made  by  Dementie\',  be- 
cause all  the  time  they  had  followed  the  coast  they  had  seen  no  fire, 
buildings,  boats,  nor  any  other  signs  of  human  beings  and  sup- 
posed the  coast  was  uninhabited.  Upon  noting  the  fire  a  gun 
was  fired  at  intervals  as  a  signal,  and  the  St.  Paul  was  sailed  close 
to  the  shore.  As  the  gun  was  fired  the  fire  on  shore  appeared  to 
grow  brighter,  but  there  was  no  sign  of  the  boat.  On  July  24  Chiri- 
kov concluded  the  longboat  had  been  damaged  and  was  unable  to 
come  off,  and  it  was  decided  to  send  the  small  boat  ashore  with 
tools  for  repairing  the  longboat.  Accordingly,  boatswain  Savelev 
was  sent  in  the  small  boat  with  a  carpenter,  a  calker,  and  a 
seaman. 

Chirikov  reports  that  when  Savelev  departed  "the  weather  was 
very  still;  we  followed  him  quite  close  to  the  shore  and  saw 
him  approach  it.  According  to  our  time  it  was  exactly  six  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon.  The  signals  which  had  been  agreed  upon  he 
failed  to  make  and  at  the  expected  time  did  not  return."  We 
can  well  imagine  the  anxiety  with  which  Chirikov  and  his  ship's 


344  NOTE  TO  ACCOMPANY  THE  CHART 

company  Avatched  and  waited  that  night  and  the  following  day, 
for  their  last  boat  had  gone  and  this  left  them  no  means  of  reach- 
ing the  shore;  but  at  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  (July  25)  two 
boats  were  seen  coming  out  of  the  bay  which  the  St.  Paul's  boats 
had  entered.  One  of  the  boats  was  larger  than  the  other,  and  at 
first  it  was  thought  the  ship's  boats  were  returning;  but  they  soon 
saw  their  error,  for  the  small  boat  approached  rapidly  and  the 
four  men  in  it  used  paddles  instead  of  oars.  This  boat  stopped  at 
some  distance  from  the  ship;  the  four  occupants  stood  up  and 
shouted  twice  "Agai,  Agai,"  waved  their  hands,  and  turned  back 
to  the  larger  boat,  which  had  stopped  at  a  still  further  distance 
from  the  St.  Paul.  White  kerchiefs  were  waved,  and  every  effort 
was  made  to  induce  the  boats  to  come  closer,  but  to  no  avail; 
and  the  two  boats  rapidly  returned  to  the  bay  from  which  they 
had  come.  The  actions  of  the  natives  and  their  fear  to  come  close 
to  the  ship  convinced  Chirikov  that  his  men  had  either  been  killed 
or  held  captive,  and  the  ship's  company  began  to  realize  the  full 
extent  of  the  disaster  that  had  overtaken  them.  They  had  lost  15 
of  their  shipmates  and  their  only  two  boats;  they  could  not  follow 
the  native  boats  in  the  St.  Paid  and  were  helpless  to  avenge  or 
release  their  comrades,  since  they  had  no  means  of  reaching  the 
shore.  The  remainder  of  the  afternoon  the  St.  Paul  kept  close 
to  the  mouth  of  the  bay  but  at  sundown  headed  offshore  for  the 
night  and  in  the  morning  coasted  along  the  shore  to  the  north- 
ward. At  noon  of  the  26th,  being  in  latitude  58°  21',  Chirikov 
called  a  council  of  the  ofificers,  and  it  was  decided  that  as  the 
remaining  water  supply  was  barely  sufficient  for  the  return  voy- 
age and  they  had  no  boats  with  which  to  obtain  a  fresh  supply  or 
even  to  examine  the  shore,  it  was  the  part  of  wisdom  to  sail  at 
once  for  Kamchatka. 


IDENTIFICATION  OF  PLACE  WHERE  CHIRIKOV  S  MEN  WERE  LOST 

At  this  point  it  is  of  interest  to  discuss  the  location  of  the  bay 
where  the  St.  Paul  lost  her  two  boats  and  1 5  of  her  crew,  as  there 
appears  to  have  been  some  doubt  on  this  point.    The  position  of 


VOYAGE  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL"  345 

the  St.  Paul  at  noon  on  July  17,  checked  by  her  observed  lati- 
tude, the  bearings  of  the  land  given  in  the  log,  and  the  traverse 
table  from  the  previous  noon,  was  latitude  57°  39',  longitude 
136°  34'  W,  about  10  miles  SW  by  W  from  Cape  Edward.  Three 
hours  and  a  half  later  (3:30  P.M.,  July  18)  the  longboat  was  sent 
ashore,  and  in  that  time  the  St.  Paul  had  made  good  8  miles  N, 
true,  which  placed  her  about  5  miles  WSW,  true,  from  the 
entrance  to  Lisianski  Strait.  On  the  24th  when  the  small  boat 
was  sent  ashore  the  weather  was  clear,  and  Chirikov  took  a  noon 
observation  close  to  the  mouth  of  the  bay  and  found  the  latitude 
to  be  57°  50'.  This  is  the  correct  latitude  of  Lisianski  Strait.  On 
other  occasions  where  it  has  been  possible  to  check  Chirikov's 
observed  latitude  with  the  definitely  known  position  of  the  ship, 
his  noon  sights  have  proved  to  be  very  good,  and  there  is  no 
reason  to  doubt  the  general  accuracy  of  his  observation  on  this 
occasion.  Mr.  Davidson  states*  that  Chirikov  designated  the 
place  as  "a  great  bay  in  latitude  57°  15'."  Chirikov  in  his  report 
simply  refers  to  a  bay  with  nothing  to  indicate  particularly 
whether  it  was  large  or  small.  The  log  book  which  was  kept  by 
Chirikov  records  the  latitude  as  57°  50'  and  gives  the  impression 
that  the  bay  was  considered  small.  The  entry  in  the  log  for  July 
18  recites  that  "At  3 130  stood  for  the  land  as  near  as  we  dared  and 
sent  ashore  in  the  boat  the  Fleet  Master  Dementiev  and  ten 
armed  men.  .  .  .  He  carried  a  written  order  which,  among 
other  things,  told  him  to  make  for  the  opening,  which  seemed  to  us 
a  bay,  and  take  its  bearings." 

Another  entry  on  the  same  day  recites  that  "According  to  the 
reckoning  at  4.30  in  the  afternoon,  taking  also  into  consideration 
the  position  of  the  bay  into  which  Dementiev  was  sent,  we  set 
down  the  position  of  the  said  bay  as  57°  23'  N,  longitude  from 
Vaua59°36'.  .  .  .  By  correction  the  latitude  is  57**  50',  longitude 
58°  54'.     The  true  latitude  we  got  by  observation  on  the  24th." 

Chirikov's  observed  latitude,  the  traverse  table,  the  bearings 
taken  during  the  several  days  the  St.  Paul  remained  in  the 
vicinity,  and  the  references  in  the  log  all  point  with  certainty  to 

>P.  19  of  work  cited  in  footnote  s.  p.  334. 


346     NOTE  TO  ACCOMPANY  THE  CHART 

Lisianski  Strait  as  the  place  where  the  boats  of  the  St.  Paul  met 
with  disaster. 

BEGINNING  OF  HOMEWARD  VOYAGE 

In  accordance  with  the  decision  of  the  council  the  homeward 
voyage  was  begun.  At  noon  of  the  26th  Mt.  Fairweather  was 
sighted  at  a  distance  of  40  miles,  and  on  the  morning  of  July  27 
they  made  out  Ocean  Cape  where  the  land  falls  away  to  form 
Yakutat  Bay.  On  August  i  the  Kenai  Peninsula  came  into  view, 
and  Chirikov  hauled  to  the  southward.  At  noon  Cape  Elizabeth 
was  50  miles  distant.  At  noon  of  August  2,  although  the  St.  Paul 
was  keeping  well  offshore,  the  northern  end  of  Afognak  Island 
was  sighted  with  Mt.  Douglas  in  the  distance,  and  on  the  3rd 
they  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  high  land  in  the  vicinity  of  Cape 
Chiniak.  Chirikov  now  worked  to  the  southward  and  westward 
until  the  parallel  of  53°  was  reached  on  the  12th,  when  he  again 
hauled  to  the  westw^ard;  but  a  spell  of  contrary  winds  and  bad 
weather  set  in,  and  between  that  date  and  the  30th  the  St. 
Paul  advanced  but  100  miles  to  the  westward.  On  August  31 
the  wind  was  fair,  and  good  progress  was  made  until  September 
4,  when  Umnak  Island  and  the  Islands  of  Four  Mountains  were 
sighted.  At  noon  the  St.  Paul  was  about  25  miles  to  the  south- 
ward of  the  islands,  the  weather  was  clear,  and  as  the  land  seemed 
to  extend  to  the  southward  and  westward  Chirikov  stood  in  that 
direction  for  two  days  before  continuing  west.  On  September  8 
there  were  many  indications  that  the  ship  was  again  approaching 
land,  and  on  the  9th  they  found  themselves  on  soundings.  At 
sundown  it  was  calm  with  a  dense  fog;  a  cast  of  the  lead  showing 
only  30  fathoms  of  water,  Chirikov  wisely  brought  his  ship  to 
anchor.  During  the  night  they  could  hear  the  surf  breaking  on 
the  beach,  and  the  lifting  of  the  fog  the  following  morning  re- 
vealed a  rocky  shore  scarcely  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away.  The 
St.  Paul  had  anchored  in  one  of  the  small  bights  on  the  south 
shore  of  Adak  Island,  probably  the  easternmost  one.  During 
the  night  the  tide  was  running  to  the  westward,  and  but  for 
Chirikov's  prudence  the  night  before  the  St.  Paul  would  have 
drifted  upon  the  rocks  in  the  fog. 


VOYAGE  OF  THE  "ST.  PAUL"  347 

LANDFALLS  IN  THE  ALEUTL\N  ISLANDS 

Soon  after  the  fog  cleared  two  men  were  seen  on  the  beach,  and 
in  a  short  timeseven  baidarkas, ea.ch  carryingone  man,  approached 
the  ship.  Gifts  were  distributed  by  Chirikov,  but  the  natives 
could  not  be  persuaded  to  come  on  board.  In  the  afternoon 
(September  10)  14  of  these  skin  boats  came  out  to  the  ship;  but 
none  of  the  natives  would  come  on  board,  and  Chirikov  had  no 
boats  in  which  to  send  a  party  ashore.  The  log  for  September  9 
has  an  interesting  account  of  this  meeting.  Late  in  the  afternoon 
of  September  10  the  wind  freshened,  heavy  squalls  came  down  the 
hills,  the  St.  Paul  began  to  drag  towards  the  rocks  which  lined  the 
shore,  and  Chirikov  was  obliged  to  cut  the  cable  and  put  hastily 
to  sea.  For  the  next  four  days,  until  September  14,  Chirikov 
steered  to  the  southward  of  west  to  keep  clear  of  the  land ,  but 
on  the  latter  date,  being  in  latitude  50°  31'  with  no  signs  of  land, 
the  course  was  changed  to  the  northward  of  west  so  as  to  work  up 
to  the  53rd  parallel.  This  course  took  the  St.  Paid  within  20 
miles  of  Kiska  Island  on  the  i6th,  but  the  weather  was  overcast 
and  no  land  was  seen. 

In  the  latter  part  of  August,  Chirikov  found  it  necessarj'  to 
put  the  crew  on  short  allowance  of  both  food  and  water,  and  he 
reports  that  the  crew  had  cooked  kasJ7a  (a  buckwheat  mush)  but 
once  a  week  and  on  the  other  six  days  lived  on  cold  food,  with  an 
allowance  of  water  just  sufficient  to  quench  the  thirst.  These 
pri\ations  soon  sapped  the  vitality  of  the  men,  and  on  September 
16  the  log  records  the  death  of  one  man  from  scurvy  and  the  fact 
that  many  of  the  men  were  very  ill,  Chirikov  among  the  number. 

At  sundown  of  September  21a  cast  of  the  lead  indicated  60 
fathoms,  and  Chirikov,  with  his  customary'  prudence,  gave  orders 
to  shorten  sail  and  heave  to  for  the  night.  In  the  morning  land 
was  sighted,  and  at  noon  the  St.  Paul  was  close  under  the  eastern 
shores  of  Agattu  Island.  The  atmosphere  was  clear,  and  they 
made  out  the  Semichi  Islands  and  the  peaks  of  Attu  in  the 
distance.  By  this  time  all  but  one  of  the  officers  and  most  of  the 
crew  were  down  with  scurvy,  and  only  a  few  were  able  to  drag 
themselves  on  deck  to  work  the  ship.    Chirikov  himself  was  so 


348     NOTE  TO  ACCOMPANY  THE  CHART 

ill  that  after  September  21  he  never  left  the  cabin  until  he  was 
carried  ashore  when  they  made  port.  The  only  officer  not 
confined  to  his  bed  was  Ivan  Elagin,  who  although  affected  by  the 
scurvy  would  not  give  up  and  kept  the  deck  almost  continuously. 
Chirikov,  lying  in  his  bed,  worked  out  the  sights  and  the  reckon- 
ing and  directed  Elagin  what  courses  to  steer;  when  according 
to  their  reckoning  they  had  run  up  their  longitude  and  no  land 
was  sighted  Chirikov  gave  directions  to  keep  to  the  westward 
close  to  the  53rd  parallel.  On  October  7  Lieutenant  Chikhachev 
died,  and  the  next  day  both  Lieutenant  Plautin  and  Navigator 
Vrange  passed  away. 

RETURN  TO  PETROPAVLOVSK 

On  October  8  they  were  gladdened  by  the  sight  of  land,  at 
noon  they  recognized  the  familiar  outlines  of  Cape  Shipunski, 
and  two  days  later  the  St.  Paul  anchored  in  Avacha  Bay.  Pro- 
fessor de  la  Croyere  died  just  as  the  anchor  was  dropped. 
Chirikov  was  very  low,  but  he  was  immediately  taken  ashore, 
where  he  rallied  sufficiently  to  write  his  report  and  resume  direc- 
tion of  affairs.  He  never  fully  regained  his  health.  Thusended  the 
eventful  voyage  of  the  St.  Paul.  Of  her  76  officers  and  men  who 
sailed  from  Avacha  Harbor  June  4  but  54  returned,  and  all  of 
these  were  suffering  from  the  scurvy. 

The  voyages  of  Bering  and  Chirikov  are  events  of  great  impor- 
tance. These  two  navigators  crossed  the  Pacific  and  discovered 
the  northwestern  coast  of  the  American  continent  at  a  tremen- 
dous coot  and  in  the  face  of  untold  difficulties;  and  a  seaman 
reads  the  details  of  their  struggle  with  increasing  respect  and 
admiration  for  the  men  who  achieved  so  great  an  object  with  tools 
so  inadequate  for  the  purpose. 


Ch  nkovloSIS 


HFTiai  EA:i[iFr"  ocEAji   sheet  i 


( H  \RT  OF 

ninoUf.l  01  RFRIM.  \W)(HIR]KOV 
IMlll    SIPIIIR  VM)TH1  MP\n 

ITOIM  k.VMLIL\llv\rOTIII  M  \Sk\N  (OlST 
\ND  RFTnWJ  1741 


"To   1  |i 

IISWORTII  PBtllTllOll 

lol  ■cal« 


BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTE 

Manuscript  Sources 

Golder's  "Guide  to  Materials  for  American  History  in  Russian 
Archives"  (Carnegie  Instn.  Puhl.  No.  23Q,  Washington,  D.  C, 
1917)  lists  all  the  unpublished  documents  on  this  subject  that 
are  to  be  found  in  Petrograd  and  Moscow. 

In  the  Archives  of  the  Ministry  of  Marine  at  Petrograd  there 
are  classified  under  the  heading  "Captain  Commander  Bering" 
III  bundles  of  documents,  some  of  which  contain  between  2,000 
and  3,000  pages.  In  addition  there  are  many  other  papers  in  the 
archives  relating  to  this  subject  catalogued  under  different  heads, 
such  as  "Admiralty  College,"  "Count  Apraksin,"  and  various  other 
names.  These  are  by  no  means  all  the  documents.  The  Hydro- 
graphic  Section  of  the  Ministry'  of  Marine,  the  Academy  of 
Sciences,  the  Archives  of  the  State,  the  Ministry  of  War,  and 
most  of  the  other  archives,  both  at  Petrograd  and  Moscow,  have 
manuscript  material  in  this  field. 

This  vast  amount  of  material  is,  however,  out  of  proportion  to 
its  importance.  Many  of  the  lii  bundles  associated  with  the 
name  of  Bering  have  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  him,  his  work, 
or  his  period,  but  deal  nearly  altogether  with  purely  Siberian 
affairs  of  a  much  later  time.  In  the  remaining  bundles  which  do 
concern  the  Bering  expeditions,  much  of  the  material  con- 
tained is  worthless  because  of  duplication.  Each  undertaking 
went  through  the  hands  of  several  administrative  bodies  and 
bureaus,  all  of  which  made  copies  and  comments;  by  the  time  a 
decision  was  reached  a  large  number  of  papers  had  accumulated 
that  were  merely  repetitions  of  the  same  subject.  To  give  con- 
crete illustrations:  The  trouble  between  Spanberg  and  one  of  his 
lieutenants  fills  many  bundles  of  documents — the  same  charge  (a 
very  petty  one)  being  repeated  again  and  again.    The  petition  af 


350  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTE 

Bering's  family,  after  his  death,  that  the  pay  due  him  should  be 
handed  over  to  them  makes  two  or  more  bundles  of  affidavits, 
copies  of  certificates,  comments  of  various  bureaus,  etc.  The 
good  and  the  worthless  material  is  all  tied  up  together. 

In  the  archives  of  the  Ministry  of  Marine  at  Paris  there  is  a 
collection  of  valuable  papers  as  yet  unpublished.  These  are 
letters,  copies  of  journals,  charts,  reports  of  conversation, 
newspaper  clippings,  and  other  such  material  collected  by  the 
members  of  the  Delisle  family — all  of  which  throw  interesting 
side  lights  on  the  period  and  the  men.  The  papers  which  are 
of  special  importance  for  this  study  are  those  gathered  by 
Joseph  Nicolas  Delisle  during  his  twenty-one  years'  (1726- 
1747)  residence  at  the  Russian  capital  as  an  officer  of  the 
Academy.  Those  of  his  papers  which  have  recently  come  to 
light  in  the  Bibliotheque  Nationale  have  been  discussed  by 
Isnard. 

The  principal  materials  for  the  present  work  are  the  original 
log  books  and  other  naval  papers  of  the  navigators.  They  have  all 
been  preserved  except  the  journal  of  the  St.  Peter,  which  was  lost 
at  the  time  of  the  wreck  of  the  ship.  The  documents  dealing  with 
Bering's  second  expedition  have  never  been  published,  not  even 
in  Russia,  and  have  been  used  only  once  before — by  Sokolov  for 
his  study.  But  even  Sokolov  was  ignorant  of  the  existence 
of  some  of  the  material.  On  his  return  from  Petrograd  in  1917 
the  author  prided  himself  on  having  examined  all  the  docu- 
ments, but  it  seems  that  he  was  mistaken.  His  attention  has 
recently  been  called  to  a  reference  by  Eugen  Biichner  ("Die 
Abbildungen  der  Nordischen  Seekuh,"  St.  Petersburg,  1891,  p.  i) 
to  "eine  handsschriftliche  Beschreibung  der  zweiten  Bering' schen 
Expedition  ....  die  den  Schiffs-Capitain  Swen  Waxell  .  .  . 
zum  Verfasser  hat,"  which  is  deposited  in  the  Emperor's  pri- 
vate library  in  Tsarskoe  Selo.  Whether  this  is  merely  a  copy 
of  the  document  here  published  or  something  different  it  is 
difficult  to  say.  It  cannot  be  greatly  different  since  the  same 
man  wrote  both;  however,  that  is  an  open  question  for  the 
time  being. 


PUBLISHED  SOURCES  351 

When  the  officers  returned  to  Kamchatka  they  had  several 
copies  made  of  their  papers  and  forwarded  them  to  the  Admir- 
alty College.  These  copies  occasionally  difTer  from  one  another, 
as  might  be  expected,  because  of  the  copyists;  but  it  is  possible  to 
check  up  the  errors.  Many  of  the  expressions  then  used  are  now 
archaic  and  can  be  found  only  in  old  Russian  and  Dutch  diction- 


PuBLisHED  Sources 

For  the  first  two  decades  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  printed 
material  is  found  in  the  "Pamyatniki  Sibirskoi  Istorii."  The  "Pol- 
noe  Sobranie  Zakonov  Rossiiskoi  Imperii"  contains  the  instruc- 
tions to  the  officers  in  Siberia  and  the  navigators.  Bering's  report 
to  the  Empress  on  his  first  voyage  is  printed  without  comment  in 
Zapiski  Voenno-Topograficheskago  Depo.  Berkh  in  his  "Per- 
voe  Morskoe  Futeshestvie  Rossiyan"  edited  the  log  book  of  the 
first  voyage  which  was  kept  by  the  midshipman,  Peter  Chaplin. 
Vakhtin  in  "Russkiye  Truzheniki  Morya"  printed  additional  docu- 
ments on  this  voyage.  Gvozdev's  report  and  other  material 
bearing  on  the  sighting  of  the  American  coast  in  1732  may  be 
found  in  Zapiski  Hydrograficheskago  Departamenta.  Steller's 
"Reise  von  Kamtschatka  nach  Amerika"  is  the  only  original  docu- 
ment of  importance  dealing  with  the  second  sea  voyage  which 
has  up  to  this  time  appeared  in  print. 

Miiller,  Gmelin,  and  Krasheninnikov  were  members  of  Ber- 
ing's second  expedition  though  they  did  not  go  to  sea  with  him. 
Their  writings  may  be  classed  partly  as  original  and  partly  as 
contemporary  documents,  depending  altogether  on  the  topics 
which  they  discuss.  About  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century 
a  friendly  controversy  arose  between  Karl  Ernst  von  Baer,  a 
German  scholar  residing  at  St.  Petersburg,  and  Lieutenant  Soko- 
lov  of  the  Russian  Navy.  In  1848  and  1849  Baer  wrote  a  series  of 
newspaper  articles  on  Peter  the  Great's  contribution  to  the  ad- 
vancement of  geographical  knowledge.  These  papers  were  trans- 
lated into  Russian  and  published  in  the  Proceedings  (Zapiski)  of 
the  Geographical  Society  in  1849  and  1850.    As  soon  as  they  ap- 


352  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTE 

peared  Sokolov  replied  to  them,  heading  his  papers  "Bering  and 
Chirikov."  His  contention  was  that  Chirikov  did  not  receive  all 
thecredit  hemerited  for  the  part  he  took  in  theBeringexpeditions. 
Baer  took  notice  of  the  attack  and  defended  his  position  in  the 
St.  Petershnrger  Zeitung  (Nos.  114,  115,  116).  The  controversy 
had  this  good  in  it:  it  stimulated  a  study  of  the  original  docu- 
ments, and  the  results  of  these  researches  appeared  in  the  Zap- 
iski  Hydrograficheskago  Departamenta  and  brought  out  many 
points  unknown  before.  In  1872  Baer,  then  eighty  years  of  age, 
completed  his  monograph  and  summarized  the  points  of  the 
controversy  in  an  admirable  way.  Towards  the  end  of  the 
nineteenth  century  Lauridsen,  a  Dane,  took  up  the  cudgels  in 
behalf  of  Bering. 

Secondary  Materials 

Mezhov's  "Bibliographia  Sibirica"  is  the  best  published  work  on 
the  subject  but  is  neither  complete  nor  wholly  reliable.  A 
hitherto  unpublished  card  bibliography  of  Alaska  which  has 
been  prepared  by  Judge  James  Wickersham  of  Juneau  is  much 
better  than  Mezhov's  for  Alaska. 

The  secondary  material  is  not  altogether  satisfactory.  It  is 
almost  two  hundred  years  since  Bering  received  his  commission 
to  undertake  his  first  voyage,  and  during  that  long  period  only 
six  men  have  been  sufficiently  interested  in  the  subject  to  give 
it  careful  consideration,  either  in  whole  or  in  part.  These  men 
are  M  tiller,  Coxe,  Sokolov,  Baer,  Bancroft,  and  Lauridsen.  One 
of  these  is  a  Russian,  and  the  two  Germans  were  in  the  service  of 
Russia  at  the  time  of  their  writing.  The  most  important  book 
in  this  field  is,  after  all,  the  third  volume  of  Miiller's  "Sammlung 
Russischer  Geschichte,"  published  in  1758.  Soon  after  its  appear- 
ance this  work  was  translated  into  Russian,  English,  and  French. 
Although  since  that  time  much  paper  and  ink  have  been  used  up 
in  telling  this  story,  yet  very  little  that  is  new  has  been  added  to 
our  knowledge  of  the  subject.  Both  Russian  and  non-Russian 
scholars  have  preferred  to  follow  Miiller's  version  than  to  consult 
the  originals.  Miiller's  work,  although  very  valuable,  should  not 
be  used  as  a  source,  but  along  with  the  sources.    M tiller  was  too 


REFERENCES  353 

much  a  part  of  the  period  to  see  il  in  its  true  proportions.  His 
judgment  of  the  men  of  his  time  is  not  critical;  he  usually  rates 
their  deeds  at  a  higher  value  than  they  deserve.  His  lenient 
attitude  may  be  partly  explained  by  the  fact  that  many  of  the 
men  of  whom  he  was  writing,  or  their  friends,  were  yet  alive,  and 
it  was  wise  not  to  say  anything  which  might  offend. 

"Peter's  des  Grossen  Verdienste  um  die  Erweiterung  der 
geographischen  Kenntnisse,"  the  monograph  by  Karl  Ernst  von 
Baer  referred  to  above,  gi\es  an  excellent  summary  of  the  Bering 
voyages.  It  is  scholarly,  readable,  and  fair  in  its  judgments. 
Lauridsen's  "Vitus  Bering"  has  brought  to  light  many  interesting 
facts.  Bancroft's  "History  of  Alaska"  is  of  much  value  and 
may  be  used  with  profit  in  connection  with  the  sources.  Ball's 
"Critical  Review  of  Bering's  First  Expedition"  is  the  first 
really  critical  discussion  in  English  of  the  first  expedition. 
There  are  many  helpful  papers  in  the  Morskoi  Sbornik. 
Fischer's  "Sibirische  Geschichte,"  Slovtsov's  "Istoricheskoe 
Obozryenie  Sibiri,"  and  Pallas'  "Xeue  Xordische  Beitrage"  have 
much  important  material.  The  journals  of  Cook,  Laperouse, 
Krusenstern,  and  other  navigators  in  the  North  Pacific  Ocean 
help  in  understanding  the  difficulties  and  problems  which  con- 
fronted the  Russian  sailors  of  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth 
centuries. 

In  conclusion  it  should  be  said  that  nearly  all  of  the  manuscript 
material  used  in  this  work  was  photostated  and  is  now  deposited 
in  the  Library  of  Congress  at  Washington,  D.  C,  and  the  library 
of  the  University  of  Washington  at  Seattle.  As  far  as  printed 
material  is  concerned,  the  Yudin  Collection  of  the  Library  of 
Congress  is  richer  for  the  study  of  this  subject  than  any  library 
in  Western  Europe  and,  according  to  the  statements  of  certain 
Russian  scholars,  even  than  the  Imperial  Library  at  Petrograd. 

Bibliography 

In  the  following  list  of  references  the  author's  original  en- 
tries have  been  editorially  amplified,  classified,  and  commented 
upon.     This  amplification  includes  the  addition  of  a  number  of 


354  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTE 

entries,  especially  the  papers  published  during  the  first  half  of 
the  nineteenth  century  by  Russian  students  of  the  subject. 
The  author  has  not  had  occasion  to  see  proofs  of  the  bibliog- 
raphy. The  titles  are  grouped  by  topics  in  the  natural  order  of 
the  development  of  the  theme.  Within  each  group  the  titles 
are  arranged  logically,  beginning  with  the  more  general  ones, 
or  chronologically.  Comment  is  often  added  to  characterize  the 
title's  relation  to  the  Bering  expeditions.  Russian  titles  are  trans- 
literated and  translated. 

History  of  Siberia 

Mezhov,  V.  I.  [on  title  page  in  quasi-French  transliteration,  Mejovv]. 
Bibliographia  sibirica:  Bibliographie  des  livres  et  articles  de  journaux 
russes  et  etrangers  concernant  la  Siberie.  4  vols,  in  three.  St.  Peters- 
burg, 1891-92.    [Vol.  2  deals  with  geography  and  voyages.) 

Akty  istoricheskie  (Historical  documents).  Collected  and  published 
by  the  Archeographical  Commission.  Vols.  1-5,  for  1334-1700. 
St.  Petersburg,  1841-43.   Separate  index,  1843. 

Dopolneniya  k  aktam  istoricheskim  (Supplementary  historical  docu- 
ments) .  Collected  and  published  by  the  Archeographical  Commission. 
Vols.  1-12,  for  1150-1700.  St.  Petersburg,  1846-72.  Separate  index 
to  Vols,  i-io,  1875. 

Pamyatniki  Sibirskoi  istorii  xviii  vyeka  (Memoirs  for  Siberian  history 
of  the  eighteenth  century).  Edited  for  the  Archeographical  Commis- 
sion by  A.  I.  Timofeev.  2  vols.  (Vol.  1,  1700-1713;  Vol.  2,  1713-1724). 
St.  Petersburg,  1882-85. 

Fischer,  J.  E.  Sibirische  Geschichte  von  der  Entdekkung  Sibiriens  bis 
auf  die  Eroberung  dieses  Landes  durch  die  russischen  Waffen.  2  vols. 
Acad,  of  Sci.,  St.  Petersburg,  1768.  [Russian  edition  was  published 
in  1774  Fischer  was  one  of  the  scientists  who  were  members  of 
Bering's  second  expedition.] 

Andryevich,  V.  K.  Istoriya  Sibiri  (History  of  Siberia).  2  vols.  St. 
Petersburg,  1889. 

Slovtsov,  p.  a.  Istoricheskoe  obozryenie  Sibiri  (Historical  survey  of 
Siberia).    2  vols,  in  one.    St.  Petersburg,  1886. 

KuzNETSOV,  E.  V.  Sibirskii  lyetopisets.  Lyetopis  kontsa  xvii  i  nachala 
xviii  stolyetii,  vedennaya  v  Tobolskye  (Annals  of  Siberia.  Annals  of 
the  seventeenth  and  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century,  recorded 
in  Tobolsk).    Tobolsk,  1892. 

ITiTOv,  A.  A.]  Sibir  v  xvii  vyekye.  Sbornik  starinnykh  Russkikh  statei 
o  Sibiri  i  prilezhashchikh  k  ner  zemlyakh.    S  prilozheniem  snimka  so 


REFERENCES  355 

starinnoi  karty  Sibiri.  (Siberia  in  the  seventeenth  century.  A  col- 
lection of  old  Russian  publications  on  Siberia  and  its  borderlands, 
accompanied  by  a  reproduction  of  an  old  map  of  Siberia.)  Edited 
by   G.    Yudin.     Moscow,    1890. 

TiTOV,  A.  A.  Tyumen  v  xvii  stolyetii  (Tyumen  in  the  seventeenth 
century).    Published  by  A.  I.  Chukmalsina,  Moscow,  1903. 

SuKACHEV,  V.  P.,  edit.  Pervoe  stolyetie  Irkutska  (First  century  of 
Irkutsk).    St.  Petersburg,  1902. 

Remezov,  S.  Chertezhnaya  kniga  Sibiri  (Map  book  of  Siberia). 
Archeographical  Commission,  St.  Petersburg,  1882.  [A  modern 
reproduction  of  an  atlas  of  Siberia  and  the  accompanying  notes  made 
at  the  request  of  the  tsar  by  Remezov  towards  the  end  of  the  seven- 
teenth century.  The  important  general  map  of  Siberia  in  this  atlas  is 
reproduced  in  A.  E.  Nordenskiold's  Periplus,  Stockholm,  1897,  PI.  37.] 

Cahen,  Gaston.  Les  cartes  de  la  Siberie  au  xviiie  siecle:  Essai  de 
bibliographic  critique.    Paris,  191 1. 

Popov,  M.  Pervaya  morskaya  expeditsiya  k  ustyu  ryeki  Obi  (First 
sea  expedition  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ob).    St.  Petersburg,   1907. 

Geographical  Knowledge  of  the  North  Pacific 
Prior  to  Bering's  Expeditions 

Nachod,  Oskar.  Ein  unentdecktes  Goldland:  Ein  Beitrag  zur  Ge- 
schichte  der  Entdeckungen  im  nordlichen  Grossen  Ocean.  Separate 
from  Mitt,  der  Deulschen  Gesell.  fiir  Natur  und  Volkerkunde  Ostasiens. 
[Tokyo,  1900.]  [Deals  with  the  voyages  of  the  Spaniard  Vizcaino 
from  Mexico  in  161 1  and  1612  in  search  of  the  rumored  gold  islands 
east  of  Japan.] 

Heeres,  J.  E.,  edit.  Abel  Janszoon  Tasman's  journal  of  his  discovery 
of  Van  Diemens  Land  and  New  Zealand  in  1642,  with  documents 
relating  to  his  exploration  of  Australia  in  1644.  Amsterdam,  1898. 
[Contains  a  good  brief  account  of  Tasman  and  Quast's  voyage  in 
1639  in  search  of  the  rumored  gold  islands,  on  which  they  reached 
42 °N.  600  Dutch  miles  east  of  Japan  and  discovered  the  Bonin 
Islands.] 

Leupe,  P.  A.,  edit.  Reize  van  Maarten  Gerritsz[oon]  Vries  in  1643 
naar  het  noorden  en  oosten  van  Japan,  volgens  het  journaal  gehouden 
door  C.  J.  Coen,  op  het  schip  Castricum.  Published  under  the  aus- 
pices of  the  Koninklijk  Instituut  voor  Taal-,  Land-,  en  Volkenkunde 
van  Nederlandsch  Indie.  Amsterdam,  1858.  [First  publication  of 
the  journal  of  Vries's  voyage  of  1643.] 

Teleki,  Paul.  Atlas  zur  Geschichte  der  Kartographie  der  Japanischen 
Inseln,  nebst  dem  hollandischen  Journal  der  Reise  Mathys  Quasts  und 
A.  J.  Tasmans  zur  Entdeckung  der  Goldinseln  im  Osten  von  Japan 


356  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTE 

i.  d.  J.  1639  und  dessen  deutscher  Ubersetzung.  Budapest,  1909. 
[Contains  the  complete  journal  of  Quast  on  Tasman  and  Quast's 
voyage  of  1639  in  search  of  the  rumored  gold  islands  east  of  Japan; 
also  an  account  of  Vries's  voyage  of  1643.] 

WiTSEN,  NicoLAAS.  Noord  en  oost  Tartaryen,  behelzende  eene  beschry- 
ving  van  verscheidene  Tartersche  en  nabuurige  gewesten,  in  de 
noorder  en  oostelykste  deelen  van  Azien  en  Europa.  2  vols.  2nd 
edit.,   Amsterdam,    1785.     [First  edition,    1692.] 

Histoire  [i.  e.  Memoires]  de  V Academic  des  Sciences  [de  Paris].  Vols,  for 
1714,  1720,  1725,  1729.  [These  volumes  contain  papers  by  Guillaume 
and  Joseph  Delisle.  The  volume  for  1720  has  one  by  Guillaume 
Delisle,  for  instance  (Determination  geographique  de  la  situation  et 
de  I'etendue  des  differentes  parties  de  ia  terre),  in  which  he  excellently 
sums  up  the  geographical  knowledge  of  the  North  Pacific  at  the  time. 
In  this  he  advances  the  opinion  that  Terra  de  Yezo  is  a  part  of  the 
continent  of  Asia  and  Japan  a  peninsula  of  Yezo.  From  1699  to  1789 
the  title  of  the  Memoires  was  Histoire.] 

Vaugondy,  Robert  de.  Observations  critiques  sur  les  nouvelles  decou- 
vertes  de  I'Amiral  Fuentes.  Paris,  1753.  [Bartolome  de  Fuentes 
was  a  Spanish  admiral  who  made  a  voyage  in  the  North  Pacific  m 
1640  to  discover  a  northwest  passage.  See  also  the  paper  by  J.  N. 
Delisle  listed  on  p.  360-361.] 

Kaempfer,  Engelbert.  The  history  of  Japan,  giving  an  account  of 
the  antient  and  present  state  and  government  of  that  empire.  Written 
in  High  Dutch  by  E.  Kaempfer  .  . .  and  translated  from  his  original 
manuscript,  never  before  printed,  by  J.  G.  Scheuchzer  ...  2  vols. 
London,  1728.  [One  of  the  accompanying  maps  shows  Kamchatka 
and  Terra  de  Yezo  as  the  same  land.] 

Strahlenberg,  p.  J.  VON.  An  historico-geographical  description  of  the 
north  and  eastern  parts  of  Europe  and  Asia,  but  more  particularly 
of  Russia,  Siberia,  and  Great  Tartary  .  .  .  Written  originally  in 
High  German  by  Mr.  Philip  John  von  Strahlenberg  .  .  .  London, 
1738.  Original  edition,  Stockholm,  1730.  [Strahlenberg  was  a  Swedish 
officer  who  was  made  prisoner  by  the  Russians  at  the  Battle  of  Pultava. 
During  his  captivity  in  Siberia,  where  he  enjoyed  much  freedom  of 
movement,  he  made  the  observations  on  which  this  book  is  based. 
The  important  map  of  northern  Eurasia  accompanying  the  original 
edition  is  reproduced  in  facsimile  in  A.  E.  Nordenskiold's  Periplus, 
Stockholm,  1897,  PI.  38.] 

Bernard,  J.  F.,  edit.  Recueil  de  voyages  au  nord,  contenant  divers 
memoires  tr^s  utiles  au  commerce  et  a  la  navigation.  10  vols.  Am- 
sterdam, 1725-38.  [Vol.  4,  published  1732,  contains  account  of  re- 
port by  Jesuits  in  1566  of  body  of  land  north  of  Nippon  called  Yezo.] 

Charlevoix,  [P.  F.  X.J  de.    Histoire  et  description  generale  du  Japon. 


REFERENCES  357 

2  vols.     Paris,   1736.     [One  of  the  accompanying  maps,   by   Bellin, 
"Ingenieur  au  Depot  des  Cartes  de  la  Marine"  (facsimile  reproduction 
as  PI.  IS  (i)  in  Teleki's  atlas,  cited  above  on  p.  355),  shows  Kam- 
chatka as  called  Terra  de  Yezo  by  the  Japanese.] 
RuGE,  SOPHUS.   Fretum  Anian.   Dresden,  1873. 

Minor  Expeditions:  Shestakov  and  Gvozdev 
Sgibnev,  a.  S.    Materialy  dlya  istorii  Kamchatki,  etc.    (Materials  for 
the    history    of    Kamchatka:    Expedition    of    Shestakov).     Morskoi 
Sbornik,  Vol.  100,  Section  2,  St.  Petersburg,  1869. 
Gvozdev,    Mikhael  Spiridonovich.     Report  of  his  voyage  of   1732. 
Archives  of  the   Ministry  of   Marine,   Petrograd:   Papers  of   Count 
Chernishev,  1762-68,  No.  367,  pp.  46-49.   [Manuscript.  For  published 
version,  see  the  present  work,  pp.  22-24.] 
PlOLONSKii],    A.    [S.].     Pokhod    geodezista    Mikhaila    Gvozdeva,    etc. 
(Journey  of  the  surveyor  Mikhail  Gvozdev  to  Bering  Strait  in  1732). 
Morskoi  Sbornik,  Vol.  4,  pp.  389-402,  St.  Petersburg,  1850.    [Discusses 
Gvozdev's  voyage  mainly  on  the  basis  of  a  preliminary  first  report 
made  by  him  and  Skurikhin,  another  member  of  the  expedition,  in 

I74I-] 

Pervyi  pokhod  Russkikh  k  Amerikye  1732  goda  (First  voyage  of  the 
Russians  to  America  in  1732).  Zapiski  Hydrograficheskago  Departa- 
menta.  Vol.  9,  pp.  78-107,  St.  Petersburg,  1851.  [Publishes  (pp.  88- 
103)  Gvozdev's  second  report,  made  to  Spanberg  in  1743,  which  is 
fuller  than  the  first  preliminary  report  of  1741.] 

Delisle,  Joseph  Nicolas  Navigation  et  decouvertes  faites  par  les 
Russes  dans  la  Mer  Orientale  entre  les  deux  voiages  du  Capitaine 
Beerings  vers  les  annees  173 1  et  1732:  Nouvelles  connoissances  sur 
les  terres  orientales  donnees  par  Mr.  Feodor  Ivanitch  Soimonof  le  i 
Mars,  1738.  Delisle  MSS.,  No.  XXV,  16  and  16K,  Archives  du  Depot 
des  Cartes  et  Plans  de  la  Marine,  Paris.  [Note,  with  map,  on  Gvozdev's 
voyage.  Published,  with  translation,  in  F.  A.  Golder:  Russian  Expan- 
sion in  the  Pacific,  1641-1850,  Cleveland,  O.,  1914,  Appendix  E, 
pp.  298-301;  map  on  p.  154.] 

Bering's  Expeditions:  Accounts  of  Participants  or  Persons  Directly  Concerned 

(a)    Manuscript 

(See  also  entries  in  F.  A.  Golder:  Guide  to  Materials  for 

American  History  in  Russian  Archives,  Carnegie  Instn.  Publ. 

No.   239,   Washington,   D.  C,    1917,    especially  pp.  116-135) 

Chaplin,  Peter.  Journal  and  log  book  of  Bering's  first  expedition. 
Archives  of  the  Hydrographic  Section  of  the  Ministry  of  Marine, 


358  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTE 

Petrograd:  Nautical  Journals,  1725-1731,  No.  641.  [For  abridged 
published  version,  see  book  by  Berkh,  1832,  listed  below  on  p.  363.] 
Bering,  Vitus.  Report  on  his  first  expedition.  Archives  of  the  General 
Staff,  Petrograd:  Section  X,  No.  566.  [For  published  version,  see 
reference  listed  below  on  p.  359  and  translation  of  the  report  in 
the  present  work,  pp.  9-20.] 

YusHiN.  Kharlam.  Log  book  of  the  St.  Peter.  Archives  of  the  Hydro- 
graphic  Section  of  the  Ministry  of  Marine,  Petrograd:  Nautical 
Journals,  1741,  1742,  Nos.  642,  643,  644.  [Photostat  copies  in  the 
Library  of  Congress,  Washington,  D.  C,  and  the  library  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Washington,  Seattle,  Wash.] 

Khitrov,  Sofron.  Log  book  of  the  St.  Peter.  Archives  of  the  Imperial 
Academy  of  Science,  Petrograd:  MS.  No.  120,  32:  16:  19.  [Photostat 
copy  in  the  library  of  the  University  of  Washington,  Seattle,  Wash.] 

Khitrov,  Sofron.  Log  book  of  the  St.  Peter  [another  copy].  Archives 
of  State,  Petrograd,  XXIV,  No.  9.  [Photostat  copy  in  Library  of 
Congress,  Washington,  D.  C] 

Waxel,  Sven.  Report  on  voyage  of  the  St.  Peter.  Archives  of  the 
Ministry  of  Marine,  Petrograd:  Papers  of  the  Admiralty  College, 
Bundle  No.  2.  [Photostat  copies  in  the  Library  of  Congress,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  and  the  library  of  the  University  of  Washington, 
Seattle,  Wash.] 

Log  book  of  the  St.  Paul.  Archives  of  the  Hydrographic  Section  of 
the  Ministry  of  Marine,  Petrograd:  Nautical  Journals,  1741-1743, 
Nos.  645-648. 

Journal  of  the  St.  Paul.  Archives  of  the  Ministry  of  Marine,  Petrograd: 
Papers  of  the  Admiralty  College,  Bundle  No.  16. 

Chirikov,  Alexei.  Report  on  the  voyage  of  the  St.  Paul.  Archives  of 
the  Ministry  of  Marine,  Petrograd:  Papers  of  Captain  Commander 
Bering.  Bundle  No.  44.  [Photostat  copies  of  all  three  St.  Paul  doc- 
uments are  in  the  Library  of  Congress,  Washington,  D.  C,  and  the 
library  of  the  University  of  Washington,  Seattle,  Wash.) 

Delisle  Manuscripts.  Archives  du  Depot  des  Cartes  et  Plans  de  la 
Marine,  Paris.  [See  under  Delisle,  J.  N.,  above,  p.  357,  and  below, 
this  page,  and,  under  Isnard,  p.  361.] 

(6)    Published 

Maikov,  L.  N.,  edit.  Razskazy  Nartova  o  Petrye  Velikom  (Nartov's 
narratives  about  Peter  the  Great).  Acad,  of  Sci.,  St.  Petersburg, 
1891.  [A.  K.  Nartov  (1683-1756)  was  almost  in  constant  attendance 
on  the  Emperor  during  his  last  days,  and  records  his  own  words 
concerning  his  plans  for  Bering's  first  expedition.] 

Delisle,  Joseph  Nicolas.  Explication  de  la  carte  de  la  Mer  Orientale 
dressee  pour  montrer  le  plus  court  chemin  de  I'Asie  a  I'Amerique. 


REFERENCES  359 

Lue  a  rAcademie  (des  Sciences  de  St.  Petersbourg]  Tan  1732.  Delisle 
MSS.,  No.  XXV,  14,  Archives  du  Dep6t  des  Cartes  et  Plans  de 
la  Marine,  Paris.  [Memoir  explaining  the  map  (Delisle  MSS., 
XX\'I,  3B)  which  was  given  to  Bering  on  his  second  expedition; 
De  Gama  and  Company  Lands  were  indicated  on  it.  Original  memoir, 
with  translation,  published  in  F.  A.  Colder:  Russian  Expansion  in 
the  Pacific,  1641-1850,  Cleveland,  O.,  1914,  Appendix  F,  pp.  302-313.] 

Donesenie  Flota  Kapitana  Beringa  ob  ekspeditsii  ego  k  vostochnym 
beregam  Sibiri  (Report  of  Fleet  Captain  Bering  on  his  expedition  to 
the  eastern  coast  of  Siberia).  Zapiski  Voenno-Topograficheskago 
Depo,  Vol.  10,  pp.  69-75  (report)  and  77-79  (tables),  St.  Petersburg, 
1847.  [For  a  translation  from  the  original  manuscript,  see  the  present 
work,  pp.  9-20.] 

MuLLER,  Gerh.\rd  Friedrich.  Nachrichtcn  von  Seereisen  und  zur 
See  gemachten  Entdeckungen,  die  von  Russland  aus  langs  den  Kusten 
des  Eismeeres  und  auf  dem  ostlichen  Weltmeere  gegen  Japan  und 
Amerika  geschehen  sind,  zur  Erlauterung  einer  bei  der  Academic 
der  Wissenschaften  vertertigten  Landkarte.  In  series:  Sammlung 
Russischer  Geschichte  (9  vols.,  Acad,  of  Sci.,  St.  Petersburg,  1732- 
1764),  Vol.  3,  Parts  1-3,  St.  Petersburg,  1758.  [This  is  the  most  im- 
portant account  by  a  contemporary.  Miiller  was  one  of  the  scientists 
who  were  members  of  Bering's  second  expedition.  He  did  not  go  to 
sea  with  him,  however.] 

Mti-LER,  Gerhard  Friedrich.  Voyages  from  Asia  to  America  for 
completing  the  discoveries  of  the  north  west  coast  of  America.  To 
which  is  prefixed  a  summary  of  the  voyages  made  by  the  Russians 
on  the  Frozen  Sea  in  search  of  a  north  east  passage.  Serving  as  an 
explanation  of  a  map  of  the  Russian  discoveries,  published  by  the 
Academy  of  Sciences  at  Petersburgh.  Translated  from  the  High  Dutch 
of  S.  [i.  e.  G.]  Muller  ...  By  Thomas  Jefferj-s  .  .  .  London,  1761. 
[Translation  of  the  author's  German  work.] 

MuLLER,  Gerhard  Friedrich.  Voyages  et  decouvertes  faites  par  les 
Russes  le  long  des  cotes  de  la  Mer  Glaciale  et  sur  I'Ocean  Oriental, 
tant  vers  le  Japon  que  vers  I'Amerique.  Ouvrage  traduit  de  I'allemand 
de  Mr.  G.  P.  [sic]  Muller,  par  C.  G.  F.  Dumas.  2  vols.  Amsterdam, 
1766.  [Translation  of  the  author's  German  work.  The  accompanying 
map,  which  shows  the  results  of  Bering's  expeditions  as  w^ell  as  the 
tracks  of  his  vessels,  is  reproduced  in  facsimile  in  A.  E.  Nordenskiold's 
Periplus,  Stockholm,  1897,  Fig.  42  on  p.  98.] 

Steller,  Georg  Wilhelm.  Beschreibung  von  dem  Lande  Kam- 
tschatka,  dessen  Einwohnern,  deren  Sitten,  Kahmen,  Lebensart  und 
verschiedenen  Gewohnheiten,  hrsg.  von  J.  B.  S.  .  .  .  Frankfort  and 
Leipzig,  1774. 

Steller,   Georg  Wilhelm.    Reise  von   Kamtschatka  nach  Amerika 


36o  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTE 

mit  dem  Commandeur-Capitan  Bering.  Ein  Pendant  zu  dessen 
Beschreibung  von  Kamtschatka.  St.  Petersburg,  1793.  Also  in  P.  S. 
Pallas:  Neue  Nordische  Beitrage,  Vol.  5,  pp.  129-236;  Vol.  6,  pp.  1-26, 
Leipzig,  1795.   [Translated  in  Vol.  2  of  the  present  work.] 

Gmelin,  Johann  Georg.  Reise  durch  Sibirien,  von  dem  Jahr  1733  bis 
1743-  (In  series:  Sammlung  Neuer  und  Meikwiirdiger  Reisen  zu 
Wasser  und  zu  Lande,  Parts  4-7).  4  vols,  in  two.  Gottingen,  1751- 
52.  [Gmelin  was  one  of  the  scientists  who  were  members  of  Bering's 
second  expedition.  He  took  part  only  in  the  land  expedition,  and 
did  not  go  to  sea  with  him.] 

Gmelin,  Johann  Georg.  Voyage  au  Kamtschatka  par  la  Siberie. 
In  A.  F.  Prevost:  Histoire  generale  des  voyages.  Vol.  24,  pp.  94- 
499,  The  Hague,  1779.    [Translation  of  the  author's  German  work.] 

[Krasheninnikov,  Stepan  Petrovich.]  The  history  of  Kamtschatka 
and  the  Kurilski  Islands,  with  the  countries  adjacent;  illustrated 
with  maps  and  cuts.  Published  at  Petersbourg  in  the  Russian  language, 
by  order  of  Her  Imperial  Majesty,  and  translated  into  English  by 
James  Grieve,  M.D.  London,  1764.  [Krasheninnikov  was  one  of 
the  scientists  who  were  members  of  Bering's  second  expedition. 
He  did  not  go  to  sea  with  him,  however.  An  abridged  translation 
from  the  Russian  original,  which  was  published  in  1755.  A  complete 
translation  of  the  original  appeared  in  French  at  Amsterdam  in  1770. 
A  second  Russian  edition  was  published  in  1786.] 

Pallas,  P.  S.  Nachrichten  von  den  russischen  Entdeckungen  zwischen 
Asia  und  Europa.  Biischings  Magazin  fiir  die  Neue  Historic  und 
Geographie,  Vol.  16,  pp.  235-286.    Halle,  1782. 

Delisle,  Joseph  Nicolas.  Explication  de  la  carte  des  nouvelles  de- 
couvertes  au  nord  de  la  Mer  du  Sud.  Paris,  1752.  Accompanied  by 
a  map:  Carte  des  nouvelles  decouvertes  au  nord  de  la  Mer  du  Sud, 
tant  a  Test  de  la  Siberie  et  du  Kamtchatka,  qu'a  I'ouest  de  la  Nouvelle 
France,  dressee  sur  les  memoires  de  Mr.  Del'  Isle  .  .  .  par  Philippe 
Buache  (facsimile  reproduction  as  PI.  14  (i)  in  Teleki's  atlas,  cited 
above  on  p.  355).  [Contains  a  paper  read  by  J.  N.  Delisle  after  his 
return  from  his  twenty-one  years'  stay  in  St.  Petersburg  (i 726-1 747) 
before  the  Paris  Academy  of  Sciences  on  April  8,  1750,  entitled  "Nou- 
velles decouvertes  au  nord  de  la  Mer  du  Sud."  In  this  paper  Delisle 
said  that  Bering  was  wrecked  on  an  island  and  had  not  been  in  America, 
while  Chirikov  and  Delisle  de  la  Croyere  had  touched  on  the  Amer- 
ican coast.  This  statement  was  probably  made  in  good  faith  because 
Delisle  did  not  know  the  true  facts  of  the  voyage  of  the  St.  Peter, 
many  of  the  original  journals  and  charts  still  being  in  Siberia  and 
the  Admiralty  College  probably  not  yet  having  given  out  accurate 
information.] 

Delisle,  Joseph  Nicolas.    Nouvelles  cartes  des  decouvertes  de  I'amiral 


REFERENCES  361 

de  Fonte  et  autrcs  navigateurs  .  .  .  dans  les  mers  septentrionales, 
avec  leur  explication.  Paris,  1753.  [Accompanied  by  a  map  on  which 
the  discoveries  of  Bering  and  Chirikov,  whose  tracks  are  shown,  are 
correlated  with  the  alleged  discoveries  along  the  northwestern  coast 
of  North  America  of  the  Spanish  navigator  Bartolome  de  Fuentes 
in  1640.  A  facsimile  of  this  map  accompanies  A.  W.  Greely's  paper, 
listed  on  p.  367,  as  PI.  21,  Nail.  Geogr.  Magaz.,  Vol.  3,  1891.] 
ISN.A.RD,  Albert.  Joseph-Nicolas  Delisle:  Sa  biographic  et  sa  collection 
de  cartes  geographiques  a  la  BibUotheque  Nationale.  Bull.  Section  de 
Geogr.,  Comile  des  Travaux  Hist,  et  Sci.,  Vol.  30,  1915,  pp.  34-164. 
Minist.  de  I'lnstruction  Publ.  et  des  Beaux-Arts,  Paris.  [Of  the 
collection  of  manuscripts  and  maps  brought  back  to  Paris  by  Delisle 
from  his  twenty-one  years'  stay  in  St.  Petersburg  (1726-1747)  one 
part  was  deposited  in  the  archives  of  the  Depot  des  Cartes  et  Plans 
de  la  Marine.  Reference  is  made  to  these  above,  on  p.  358.  The 
remaining  part  was  deposited  in  the  Bibliotheque  Royale.  These,  long 
missing,  have  recently  been  found.  They  are  now  in  the  Section 
Geographique  of  the  Bibliotheque  Nationale  and  are  described  and 
listed  in  the  present  paper.  The  collection  contains  first-hand  copies 
of  maps  of  Bering's  route  on  his  first  expedition  from  Tobolsk  to 
Bering  Strait  (Nos.  165,  166,  166  bis,  167).] 

Omont,  H.  Lettres  de  J.-N.  Delisle  au  Comte  de  Maurepas  et  a  I'Abbe 
Bignon  sur  ses  travaux  geographiques  en  Russie  (i 726-1 730).  Bull. 
Section  dc  Geogr.,  Comite  des  Travaux  Hist,  et  Sci.,  Vol.  z^-  1917.  PP- 
130-164.  Minist.  de  I'lnstruction  Publ.  et  des  Beaux-Arts,  Paris. 
[Seven  letters,  of  which  five  from  Delisle  to  the  then  Minister  of  Ma- 
rine and  to  the  librarian  of  the  Bibliotheque  Royale,  informing  them 
of  his  activities  during  the  first  years  of  his  sojourn  in  Russia.  Letters 
III  and  \'II,  on  pp.  141-147  and  160-162,  deal  at  first  hand  with 
Bering's  first  expedition  and  the  state  of  geographical  knowledge  of 
the  North  Pacific  prior  to  that  expedition,  including  von  Strahlen- 
berg's  studies  (see  above,  p.  356).  "C'est  du  capitaine  Beerings 
luy-meme,  qui  est  icy  de  retour  depuis  quelques  mois,  que  j'ay  appris 
ce  que  je  viens  d'en  marquer  a  Votre  Grandeur"  (Letter  VII,  dated 
June  25,  1730).] 

Froidevaux,  Henri.  Les  etudes  geographiques  de  Joseph-Nicolas 
Delisle  sur  I'Empire  Russe.  La  Geographie,  Vol.  33,  1920,  pp.  219-228. 
Paris.    [An  abstract  of  the  papers  by  Isnard  and  Omont  listed  above.) 

BuACHE,  Philippe.  Considerations  geographiques  et  phj-siques  sur  les 
nouvelles  decouvertes  au  nord  de  la  grande  mer  appelee  vulgairement 
la  Mer  du  Sud,  avec  des  cartes  qui  y  sont  relatives.  Paris,  1753. 
[Buache.  w-ho  was  "Premier  Geographe  du  Roy"  and  in  close  touch 
with  J.  N.  Delisle,  in  this  memoir  discusses  the  geography  of  the 
North  Pacific  mainly  as  established  by   Bering's  expeditions.     The 


362  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTE 

memoir  is  accompanied  by  13  maps,  of  which  two  are  reproduced  in 
facsimile  as  Figs.  10  and  11  on  pp.  140  and  141  of  Teleki's  atlas,  cited 
above  on  p.  355.] 
[Waxel,  Sven](?).  Lettre  d'un  officier  de  la  marine  russienne  a  un 
Seigneur  de  la  Cour  concernant  la  carte  des  nouvelles  decouvertes  au 
nord  de  la  Mer  du  Sud,  et  la  memoire  qui  y  sert  d'explication,  publiee 
par  M.  de  I'lsle  a  Paris  en  1752.  Traduit  de  I'original  russe.  Berlin, 
I7S3-  [In  this  anonj-mous  pamphlet  the  origin  and  inception  of  the 
Bering  expeditions  are  discussed  and  exception  is  taken  to  J.  N. 
Delisle's  statement  (see  entry  on  p.  360)  that  Bering  had  not 
reached  America.  From  internal  evidence  A.  W.  Greely  (p.  222  of 
paper  listed  on  p.  367)  concludes  that  Sven  Waxel  was  the  author. 
Long  quotations  from  the  pamphlet  are  there  given  in  translation. 
A  careless  English  translation  appeared  in  London  in  1754.] 

Near-Contemporary  Accounts  of  Bering's  Expeditions, 
and  Compendiums 

Du  Halde,  Jean  Baptiste.  Description  geographique,  historique, 
chronologique,  politique,  et  physique  de  I'empire  de  la  Chine  et  de 
la  Tartaric  chinoise  ...  4  vols.  The  Hague,  1736.  [Vol.  4,  p.  562, 
contains  Bering's  report  on  his  first  voyage.  In  the  atlas  to  accompany 
Du  Halde's  work  (J.  B.  B.  d'Anville's  Nouvel  atlas  de  la  Chine, 
de  la  Tartaric  chinoise  et  du  Thibet,  The  Hague,  1737)  is  reproduced 
Bering's  original  map  of  his  first  voyage.  This  map,  which  he  made 
in  Moscow  in  1731,  was  presented  by  the  Russian  government  to 
the  King  of  Poland,  who  gave  it  to  the  Jesuit  father  Du  Halde.  It 
is  from  a  copy  of  this  map  for  use  in  Sweden  that  our  Fig.  5  is  repro- 
duced.] 

Weber, .  Das  neuveranderte  Russland.  At  least  3  vols.  Frank- 
fort and  Leipzig,  1744.  [Weber,  who  knew  and  associated  with  Bering, 
in  this  account  follows  verbatim  a  report  of  Bering's  first  expedition 
which  appeared  in  the  Copenhagen  periodical  Nye  Tidende  immedi- 
ately after  Bering's  return  in  March,  1730,  and  which  Lauridsen 
(work  cited  on  p.  366)  ascribes  to  Bering  himself.] 

Harris,  John,  edit.  Navigantium  atque  itinerantium  bibliotheca.  Or, 
a  complete  collection  of  voyages  and  travels.  Consisting  of  above 
six  hundred  of  the  most  authentic  writers  .  .  .  Originally  published 
...  by  John  Harris  ...  2  vols.  London,  1 744-1 748.  [Vol.  2,  pp. 
1018-1022,  contains  an  account,  by  John  Campbell,  based  on  Bering's 
report,  of  his  first  expedition  and,  facing  p.  1016,  a  reproduction  of  his 
map.] 

Chappe  d'Auteroche,  Jean.  Voyage  en  Siberie,  fait  par  ordre  du  roi 
en  1761;  contenant  les  mceurs,  les  usages  des  Russes,  et  I'etat  actual 


REFERENCES  363 

de  cette  puissance;  la  description  geographique  et  le  nivellement  de 
la  route  de  Paris  a  Tobolsk.  2  vols,  in  three,  and  atlas.  Paris,  1768. 
[Vol.  2  contains  a  translation  of  Krasheninnikov's  history  of  Kam- 
chatka.] 

[ScHERER,  J.  B.]  (?)  Keue  Nachrichten  von  denen  neuentdekten  Insuin  in 
der  See  zwischen  Asien  und  Amerika;  aus  mitgetheilten  Urkunden 

und  Ausziigen  verfasset  von  J.  L.  S. .  Hamburg  and  Leipzig,  1776. 

[Attributed  to  J.  B.  Scherer,  who  wrote  the  introduction  to  and 
edited  Steller's  "Beschreibung  von  dem  Lande  Kamtschatka,"  1774.] 

CoxE,  William.  Account  of  the  Russian  discoveries  between  Asia  and 
America.  To  which  are  added  the  conquest  of  Siberia  and  the 
history  of  the  transactions  and  commerce  between  Russia  and  China. 
With  Supplement:  A  comparative  view  of  the  Russian  discoveries 
with  those  made  by  Captains  Cook  and  Gierke.  3d  edit.,  London, 
1787.  [Important  book.  The  author  lived  in  Russia  during  the 
second  half  of  the  eighteenth  century.  In  his  account  of  the  Russian 
voyages  up  to  and  including  the  Bering  period,  he  follows  Miiller 
closely.    Earlier  edition,  1780.] 

Hallager,  Morten,  comp.  Udforlige  og  troevaerdige  efterretninger 
om  de  fra  Rusland  af  langs  med  kysterne  af  lishavet  til  soes  giorte 
opdagelser;  tilligemed  de  i  russiske  tieneste  vaerende  danske  soe- 
officerers,  commandeur-capitain  Vitus  Berings  og  capitain  Morten 
Spangbergs  soe-reiser,  foretagne  i  aarene  1728,  1729,  1738,  1741  til 
1743,  paa  det  ostlige  ocean  fra  Kamtschatka  af  til  Japon  og  Amerika; 
samt  en  beskrivelse  over  de  siden  den  tid  i  dette  hav  fundne  oer 
.  .  .  uddragne  af  ovenmeldte  soefareres  dagboger  og  af  Statsraad 
Miillers,  Adjunctus  Stellers,  Prof,  de  I'lsle's,  Dr.  Pallas's  beretninger 
og  Skrifter.  .  .  Copenhagen,  1784. 


FoRSTER,  JOHANN  Reinhold.  History  of  the  voyages  and  dis- 
coveries made  in  the  North.  Translated  from  the  German.  London, 
1786, 

BuRNEY,  James.  A  chronological  history  of  the  discoveries  in  the 
South  Sea  or  Pacific  Ocean  ...  5  vols.    London,  1803-17. 

Bltiney,  James.  A  chronological  history  of  north-eastern  voyages  of 
discovery;  and  of  the  early  eastern  navigations  of  the  Russians. 
London,  18 19. 

Modern  Discussions  of  Bering's  Expeditions 

Berkh,  Vasili  N.  Pervoe  morskoe  puteshestvie  Rossiyan,  predprinyatoe 
dlya  rj-esheniya  geograficheskoi  zadachi,  Soedinyaetsya  li  Aziya  s 
Amerikoyu?  i  sovershennoe  v  1727,  28  i  29  godakh  pod  nachalstvom 
Flota  Kapitana  i-go  ranga  Vitusa  Beringa  (First  sea  voyage  of  the 


364  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTE 

Russians  undertaken  for  settling  this  geographical  problem,  Are 
Asia  and  America  united?  and  performed  in  1727-1729,  under  the 
command  of  Captain  of  the  first  rank  Vitus  Bering).  Imp.  Acad,  of 
Sci.  Press,  St.  Petersburg,  1823.  [The  leading  discussion  of  the  first 
expedition,  based  on  a  study  of  the  archives.  It  includes  an  abridged 
version  of  the  log  book  kept  by  midshipman  Peter  Chaplin  and  a 
map  showing  the  route  of  the  sea  voyage,  reproduced  in  Fig.  6  of  the 
present  work.] 

PoLONSKii,  A.  S.  Pervaya  Kamchatskaya  Ekspeditsiya  Beringa, 
1725-29  goda  (First  Kamchatka  Expedition  of  Bering,  1725-29). 
Zapiski  Hydrograficheskago  Departamenla,  Vol.  8,  pp.  535-556,  St. 
Petersburg,  1850.  [Contains  Spanberg's  and  Chirikov's  arguments 
as  to  proceeding  farther  after  expedition  had  reached  67°  i8'  N.  See 
the  present  work,  p.  19.] 

P[oLONSKii],  A.  [S.].  Pervaya  Kamchatskaya  Ekspeditsiya  Beringa, 
1725-29  goda  (First  Kamchatka  Expedition  of  Bering,  1725-29). 
Olechestveniya  Zapiski,  1851,  No.  3. 

Naznachenie  pervoi  Beringovoi  ekspeditsii  (Destination  of  Bering's 
first  expedition).  Zapiski  Hydrograficheskago  Departamenla,  Vol.  9, 
pp.  642-644,  St.  Petersburg,   185 1. 

Berkh,  Vasili  N.  Puteshestvie  Kap.  Komandora  Beringa  i  Kap. 
Chirikova,  etc.  (Voyage  of  Capt.  Commander  Bering  and  Capt. 
Chirikov  to  the  northwest  coast  of  America:  Second  expedition). 
Blagonamyerennyi  Zhurnal,  Vol.  2,   1818,   No.  6(?),  St.  Petersburg. 

Baer,  Karl  Ernst  von.  Zaslugi  Petra  Velikago  po  chasti  rasprostrane- 
nij'a  geograficheskikh  poznanii  o  Rossii  i  pogranichnikh  s  neyu  zem- 
lyakh  Azil  (The  merits  of  Peter  the  Great  in  the  extension  of  geo- 
graphical knowledge  about  Russia  and  her  Asiatic  frontier  regions). 
Zapiski  Russkago  Geograficheskago  Obshchestva,  Vol.  3,  1849,  pp.  217— 
253;  Vol.  4,  1850,  pp.  260-283.  [Read  at  the  meeting  of  Jan.  14, 
1848,  of  the  Russian  Geographical  Society.  This  was  the  paper  which 
led  to  the  friendly  controversy  between  von  Baer  and  Sokolov  as 
to  the  relative  merits  of  Bering  and  Chirikov  which  is  reflected  in 
the  entries  that  follow.) 

Sokolov,  Aleksandr.  Bering  i  Chirikov.  Syevernaya  Pchela,  1849, 
No.  98  (May  5),  pp.  391-392;  No.  99  (May  6),  pp.  395-396,  St. 
Petersburg.  [In  reply  to  von  Baer's  article  in  Zapiski  Russ.  Geogr. 
Obshch.,  Vols.  3  and  4,  1849-50.  Also  published  separately,  13  pp., 
St.  Petersburg,  1849.] 

Baer,  Karl  Ernst  von.  [Bering  und  Tschirikow](?)  St.  Petersburger 
Zeitung,  1849,  Nos.  114,  115,  116.  [Reply  to  Sokolov's  article  in 
Syevernaya  Pchela,  1849,  Nos.  98  and  99.] 

Baer,  Karl  Ernst  von.  Bering  i  Chirikov.  Russkii  Invalid  Hi  Voenniya 
Vyedomosli,    1849,    Nos.    121,    122,    123,    St.    Petersburg.     [Russian 


REFERENCES  365 

translation  of  von   Baer's  article  in  St.  Petersburger  Zeitung,   1849, 

Nos.  114-116.] 

SoKOLOV,  Aleksandr.  [Reply  to  Mr.  Baer  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences.] 
Syevernaya  Pchela,  1849,  No.  133,  St.  Petersburg.  [Reply  to  von 
Baer's  translated  article  in  Russkii  Invalid,   1849,  Nos.   121-123.) 

SoKOLOV,  Aleks.\ndr.  Syevernaya  ekspeditsiya,  1733-43  goda  (The 
northern  expeditions,  1 733-43 J.  Zapiski  Hydrograficheskago  Departa- 
menta.  Vol.  9,  pp.  190-469,  St.  Petersburg,  1851.  [The  leading  dis- 
cussion of  the  second  expedition,  based  on  a  study  of  the  archives. 
It  contains  a  map  on  Mercator's  projection,  equatorial  scale  i : 
17,500,000,  showing  Bering's  and  Chirikov's  tracks  according  to 
their  own  calculations,  and  Khitrov's  map  of  Kayak  Island,  both 
reproduced  by  Lauridsen  in  his  "Vitus   Bering,"  cited  on  p.  366.] 

SoKOLOv,  Aleksandr.  Primyechaniya,  etc.  (Remarks  on  the  'Account 
of  the  Northern  Expeditions,  1733-43.'  published  in  Vol.  9  of  the 
Journ.  of  the  Hydrographic  Department).  Motskoi  Shornik,  Vol.  25, 
No.  13,  Section  4,  pp.  103-105,  St.  Petersburg,  1856. 

Astronomicheskie  i  geodezicheskie  instrumenty  Delil-de-la  Kroera, 
vtoroi  Kamchatskoi  ekspeditsii  (Astronomical  and  geodetic  instru- 
ments used  by  Delisle  de  la  Croyere  on  the  second  Kamchatka  expedi- 
tion). Zapiski  Hydrograficheskago  Departamenta,  Vol.  7,  pp.  537-542, 
St.  Petersburg,  1849. 

Berkh,  Vasili  N.  Biograficheskoe  svyedenie  o  Kapitan-Komandorye 
Vitusye  Beringye  (Biographical  sketch  of  Capt.  Commander  Vitus 
Bering).    Syevernyi  Arkhiv,  Vol.  6,  No.  8,  St.  Petersburg,  1823. 

Berkh,  Vasili  N.  Zhizneopisaniya  pervykh  rossiiskikh  admiralov,  etc. 
(Biographies  of  the  first  Russian  admirals,  or  an  attempt  at  the 
history  of  the  Russian  Navy).    4  vols.,  St.  Petersburg,  1831-36. 

Baer,  Karl  Ernst  von.  Peter's  des  Grossen  Verdienste  um  die  Er- 
weiterung  der  geographischen  Kenntnisse.  (In  series:  Beitrage  zur 
Kenntnis  des  russischen  Reiches,  Vol.   16.)    St.  Petersburg,   1872. 

Stejneger,  Leonhard.  Contributions  to  the  history  of  the  Com- 
mander Islands,  No.  i :  Notes  on  the  natural  history,  including  de- 
scriptions of  new  cetaceans.  Proc.  U.  S.  Natl.  Museum,  Vol.  6,  1883, 
pp.  58-89. 

Stejneger,  Leonhard.  Contributions  to  the  history  of  the  Com- 
mander Islands,  No.  2:  Investigations  relating  to  the  date  of  the 
extermination  of  Steller's  sea-cow.  Proc.  U.  S.  Natl.  Museum,  Vol.  7, 
1884,  pp.  181-189. 

Stejneger,  Leonhard.  Fra  det  yderste  Osten.  Naturen,  Vol.  8,  1884, 
pp.  65-69.    Christiania. 

Stejneger,  Leonhard.  Eine  Umsegelung  der  Bering's-Insel,  Herbst 
1882.    Deutsche  Geogr.  Blatter,  Vol.  3,  1885,  pp.  225-273.    Bremen. 

[Dahlgren,  E.  W.]    Berings  karta  ofver  Sibirien.    Ymer,  Vol.    4,  1884, 


366  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTE 

pp.  93-94.    [On    copies    in    Sweden    of    Bering's    map    of    his    first 
expedition.] 

NoRDENSKiOLD,  A.  E.  Den  forsta  pi  verkliga  iakttagelser  grundade 
karta  ofver  norra  Asien.  Ymer.  Vol.  7,  1887,  pp.  133-144.    Stockholm. 

Bancroft,  H.  H.  Alaska,  1730-1885.  (In  his  "History  of  the  Pacific 
States  of  North  America,"  San  Francisco,  1882-90,  Vol.  28.)  San 
Francisco,  1886.  [Bering's  voyages  are  treated  in  Chapters  3-5. 
There  is  a  valuable  but  undifferentiated  list  of  "Authorities  quoted," 
pp.  xxiii-xxxviii.] 

Lauridsen,  Peter.  Vitus  Jonassen  Bering.  Geografisk  Tidskrift,  Vol. 
6,  1862,  pp.  89-98.  Copenhagen.  [A  study  preliminary  to  Lauridsen's 
major  work,  listed  in  the  next  entry.  This  paper  discusses  the  first 
expedition  only.] 

Lauridsen,  Peter.  Vitus  I.  Bering  eg  de  russiske  opdagelsesrejser 
fra  1725-43.  Copenhagen,  1885.  [The  Danish  original  of  the  next 
entry,  which  see.  Reviewed  by  A.  E.  Nordenskiold  in  Journ.  Amer. 
Geogr.  Soc,  Vol.  17,  1885,  pp.  285-298.] 

Lauridsen,  Peter.  Vitus  Bering,  the  discoverer  of  Bering  Strait. 
Revised  by  the  author,  and  translated  from  the  Danish  by  Julius 
E.  Olson.  .  .  .  With  an  introduction  to  the  American  edition  by  Fred- 
erick Schwatka.  .  .  .  Chicago,  1889.  [An  apologia  of  Bering.  In  spite 
of  this  bias  it  is  valuable  as  one  of  the  first  West  European  discussions 
of  the  subject  taking  the  Russian  sources  into  consideration.  The 
author  had  access  to  the  Russian  archives  in  1883,  but  even  with 
the  assistance  received  from  Admiral  Wessalgo,  then  director  of  the 
Hydrographic  Section  of  the  Ministry  of  Marine,  and  others,  the 
handicap  of  incomplete  familiarity  with  Russian  could  not  be  entirely 
overcome.  Lauridsen  reproduces  (map  III)  in  quasi-facsimile  from 
Sokolov,  Zapiski  Hydrogr.  Depl.,  Vol.  9,  combined,  the  tracks  of  the 
St.  Peter  and  the  St.  Paul  from  the  original  charts  of  Waxel  and  Khitrov 
and  of  Chirikov.  But,  as  the  accumulated  error  in  longitude  of  the 
ship's  position  in  each  case  is  not  prorated  but  is  thrown  into  one 
day,  the  two  tracks  are  not  properly  related  to  each  other.  However, 
the  map  is  of  importance  as  representing  the  navigators'  own  con- 
ception of  their  tracks.  Lauridsen  also  reproduces  (map  IV),  from  the 
same  publication,  Khitrov's  map  of  Kayak  Island  from  his  journal.] 
Vakhtin,  V.  Russkiye  truzheniki  morya.  Pervaya  morskaya  eks- 
peditsiya  Beringa,  etc.  (Russian  self-sacrificing  navigators.  Bering's 
first  expedition,  etc.).  St.  Petersburg,  1890.  [Publishes  documents  on 
the  first  voyage.] 
Dall,  W.  H.    Alaska  and  its  resources.    Boston,   1870.    [Pp.  297-301 

refer  to  Bering's  voyages.] 
Dall,  W.  H.    Notes  on  an  original  chart  of  Bering's  expedition  of  1725- 
1730,  and  on  an  original  manuscript  chart  of  his  second  expedition; 


REFERENCES  367 

together  with  a  summarj'  of  a  journal  of  the  first  expedition,  kept 
by  Peter  Chaplin,  and  now  first  rendered  into  English  from  Bergh's 
Russian  version.  Appendix  No.  19,  U.  S.  Coast  and  Geodetic  Survey 
Kept,  for  1800,  pp.  759-774.  Washington,  D.  C,  1891.  [Valuable 
because  it  makes  easily  accessible  Chaplin's  journal  of  Bering's  first 
expedition.  The  translation  is  from  the  work  by  Berkh  listed  above 
on  p.  363.  Of  the  accompanying  facsimile  of  the  map  of  the  first 
expedition  the  eastern  section  is  reproduced  in  our  Fig.  5.  The  likewise 
accompanying  map  of  the  second  expedition  is  a  facsimile  of  a  manu- 
script chart  by  Sven  Waxel  showing  the  discoveries  of  that  expedition.] 

Dall,  W.  H.  a  critical  review  of  Bering's  first  expedition,  1725-30, 
together  with  a  translation  of  his  original  report  upon  it.  Natl.  Geogr. 
Mag.,  Vol.  2,  1890,  pp.  111-169.  [The  first  modem  discussion  in 
English  of  Bering's  first  expedition  based  on  a  critical  consideration 
of  the  sources  available  at  the  time  of  publication.] 

Greely,  a.  W.  The  cartography  and  observations  of  Bering's  first 
voyage.  Natl.  Geogr.  Mag.,  Vol.  3,  1891-92,  pp.  205-230.  [Important 
critical  remarks  on  some  of  the  sources,  based  on  copies  in  the  author's 
possession.] 

ScHOTT,  C.  A.  On  the  magnetic  observations  of  Bering  during  his  first 
expedition.  Appendix  No.  5,  U.  S.  Coast  and  Geodetic  Survey  Rept. 
for  1801.  Washington,  D.  C,  1892.  Reprinted  from  U.  S.  Coast 
and  Geodetic  Survey  Bull.  20. 

Davidson,  George.  The  tracks  and  landfalls  of  Bering  and  Chirikof 
on  the  northwest  coast  of  America  from  the  point  of  their  separation 
in  latitude  49°  lo',  longitude  176°  40'  west,  to  their  return  to  the 
same  meridian,  June,  July,  August,  September,  October,  1741. 
[San  Francisco],  1901.  Also  published  in  Trans,  and  Proc.  Geogr.  Soc. 
of  the  Pacific,  Ser.  2,  Vol.  I.  [Accompanied  by  an  important  map 
showing  the  tracks  of  the  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul,  east  of  the  point 
of  their  separation,  adjusted  to  the  actual  outline  of  the  Alaskan 
coast.  The  sources  used  for  plotting  the  ship's  positions  are  not 
indicated  in  the  text.] 

Colder,  F.  A.  Russian  expansion  on  the  Pacific,  1641-1850:  An  ac- 
count of  the  earliest  and  later  expeditions  made  by  the  Russians 
along  the  Pacific  coast  of  Asia  and  North  America,  including  some 
related  expeditions  to  the  Arctic  regions.  Cleveland,  1914.  [Ber- 
ing's voyages  are  dealt  with  in  Chapters  VI  and  VIII,  Terra  de  Yezo 
in  Chapter  V,  and  Gvozdev's  voyage  in  Chapter  VII.] 

T.iiter   Voyages  to  the  Same  Region  Which  Shed  Light  cm  the  Conditions 

Under   Which  Bering's  Expeditions   Were  Made 
Cook,   James.    A  voyage  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.    Undertaken,   by  the 


368  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTE 

command  of  His  Majesty,  for  making  discoveries  in  the  Northern 
hemisphere,  to  determine  the  position  and  extent  of  the  west  side 
of  North  America;  its  distance  from  Asia;  and  the  practicability  of 
a  northern  passage  to  Europe.  Performed  under  the  direction  of 
Captains  Cook,  Clerke,  and  Gore,  in  His  Majesty's  ships  the  Reso- 
lution and  Discovery,  in  the  years  1776,  1777,  1778,  1779,  and  1780. 
Vol.  I  and  11  written  by  Captain  James  Cook,  f.r.s.  Vol.  HI  by 
Captain  James  King,  i,.i..d.  and  f.r.s.  Published  by  order  of  the 
Lords  Commissioners  of  the  Admiralty.  3  vols,  and  atlas.  London, 
1784. 

Dixon,  George.  A  voyage  round  the  world;  but  more  particularly 
to  the  north-west  coast  of  America;  performed  in  1785,  1786,  1787, 
and  1788,  in  the  King  George  and  Queen  Charlotte,  Captains  Portlock 
and  Dixon.  .  .  .  London,  1789. 

Shelekhov,  Grigorii.  Grigori  Schelechof  russischen  Kaufmanns  erste 
und  zweyte  Reise  von  Ochotsk  in  Siberien  durch  den  ostlichen  Ocean 
nach  den  Kiisten  von  Amerika  in  den  Jahren  1783  bis  1789.  Nebst 
umstandlicher  Beschreibung  der  von  ihm  neuentdeckten  Inseln 
Kiiktak,  Afagnak  und  mehrerer  andrer,  zu  welchen  selbst  der  be- 
ruhmte  Cap.  Cook  nicht  gekommen  und  die  sich  der  russischen  Herr- 
schaft  unterworfen  haben.  Aus  dem  Russischen  iibersetzt  von  J.  Z. 
Logan.    St.  Petersburg,  1793. 

Laperouse,  Jean  Francois  de  Galaup,  Comte  de.  Voyage  de  La 
Perouse  autour  du  monde,  public  conformement  au  decrit  du  22 
avril  1791,  et  redige  par  M.  L.  A.  Millet-Mureau.  4  vols,  and  atlas. 
Paris,  1797. 

Sauer,  Martin.  An  account  of  a  geographical  and  astronomical  ex- 
pedition to  the  northern  parts  of  Russia,  for  ascertaining  the  degrees 
of  latitude  and  longitude  of  the  mouth  of  the  river  Kovima;  of  the 
whole  coast  of  the  Tshutski,  to  East  Cape;  and  of  the  islands  in  the 
eastern  ocean,  stretching  to  the  American  coast.  Performed  ...  by 
Commodore  Joseph  Billings,  in  the  years  1785,  etc.,  to  1794.  The 
whole  narrated  from  the  original  papers.  London,  1802.  [Reference, 
p.  194,  to  a  native  met  with  on  Billings'  expedition  who  remembered 
Bering's  landing  on  Kaj'ak  Island.] 

Sarychev,  Gavriii..  Account  of  a  voyage  of  discovery  to  the  north- 
east of  Siberia,  the  Frozen  Ocean,  and  the  north-east  sea.  2  vols. 
in  one.  Translated  from  the  Russian.  London,  1806—07.  [Gives  an 
account  of  the  meeting,  on  Billings'  expedition,  of  a  native  who 
remembered  Bering's  landing  on  Kayak  Island.] 

Vancouver,  George.  A  voyage  of  discovery  to  the  North  Pacific 
Ocean,  and  round  the  world,  in  which  the  coast  of  north-west  Amer- 
ica has  been  carefully  examined  and  accurately  surveyed.  Under- 
taken by  His  Majesty's  command,  principally  with  a  view  to  ascertain 


REFERENCES  369 

the  existence  of  any  navigable  communication  between  the  North 
Pacific  and  North  Atlantic  oceans;  and  performed  in  the  years  1790, 
1791,  1792,  1793,  1794,  and  1795,  in  the  Discovery,  sloop  of  war, 
and  armed  tender  Chatham,  under  the  command  of  Captain  George 
Vancouver  ...  3  vols,  and  atlas.   London,  1798. 

Broughton,  W.  R.  a  voyage  of  discovery  to  the  North  Pacific  Ocean, 
in  which  the  coast  of  Asia,  from  the  lat.  of  35°  north  to  the  lat.  of 
52°  north,  the  island  of  Insu  (commonly  known  under  the  name 
of  the  land  of  Jesso,)  the  north,  south,  and  east  coasts  of  Japan,  the 
Lieuchieux  and  the  adjacent  isles,  as  well  as  the  coast  of  Corea, 
have  been  examined  and  surveyed.  Performed  in  His  Majesty's 
sloop  Providence  and  her  tender,  in  the  years  1795,  1796,  1797,  1798. 
London,  1804. 

Krusenstern,  a.  J.  VON.  Voyage  round  the  world,  in  the  years  1803, 
1804,  1805,  and  1806,  by  order  of  His  Imperial  Majesty  Alexander 
the  First,  on  board  the  ships  Nadeshda  and  Neva,  under  the  command 
of  Captain  A.  J.  von  Krusenstern.  .  .  .  Translated  from  the  original 
German,  by  Hoppner.    2  vols,  in  one.    London,   1813. 

Langsdorff,  G.  H.  von.  Voyages  and  travels  in  various  parts  of  the 
world,  during  the  years  1803,  1804,  1805,  1806,  and  1807.  2  vols. 
London,  1813-14.  [Translation  of  the  author's  "Bemerkungen  auf 
einer  Reise  um  die  Welt,"  Frankfort,    1812.] 

KoTZEBUE,  Otto  von.  A  voyage  of  discovery,  into  the  South  Sea  and 
Beering's  Straits,  for  the  purpose  of  exploring  a  north-east  passage, 
undertaken  in  the  years  1815-1818,  at  the  expense  of  His  Highness 
.  .  .  Count  RomanzolT,  in  the  ship  Rurick,  under  the  command  of 
the  lieutenant  in  the  Russian  imperial  navy,  Otto  von  Kotzebue 
...  3  vols.    London,  1821. 

Choris,  Louis.  Voyage  pittoresque  autour  du  monde,  avec  des  por- 
traits de  sauvages  d'Amerique,  d'Asie,  d'Afrique,  et  des  iles  du  Grand 
Ocean.  Paris,  1822.  [Choris  accompanied  Kotzebue's  expedition  as 
artist.] 

VVrangkll,  Ferdinand  von.  Narrative  of  an  expedition  to  the  Polar 
Sea,  in  the  years  1820,  1821,  1822,  and  1823.  Edited  by  Major  Edward 
Sabine.  .  .  .  London,  1840.  [Translated  from  G.  Engelhardt's  German 
translation  of  the  then  unpublished   Russian  manuscript.] 

Beechev,  F.  W.  Narrative  of  a  voyage  to  the  Pacific  and  Beering's 
Strait,  to  co-operate  with  the  polar  expeditions,  performed  in  His 
Majesty's  ship  Blossom,  under  the  command  of  Captain  F.  W.  Beechey 
...  in  the  years  1825,  26,  27,  28.    2  vols.    London,  1831. 

DoBELL,  Peter.  Travels  in  Kamtchatka  and  Siberia;  with  a  narrative 
of  a  residence  in  China.    2  vols.    London,  1830. 

MiDDENDORFF,  A.  T.  VON.  Reise  in  den  aussersten  Norden  und  Osten 
Sibiriens  wahrend  der  Jahre  1843  und  1844,  mit  allerhochster  Genehmi- 


370  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTE 

gung  auf  Veranstaltung  der  k.  Akademie  der  Wissenschaften  zu 
St.  Petersburg  ausgefiihrt  und  in  Verbindung  mit  vielen  Gelehrten 
herausgegeben.  4  vols,  in  seven,  and  atlas.  Acad,  of  Sci.,  St.  Peters- 
burg, 1847-1875. 

KiTTLiTZ,  F.  H.  VON.  Denkwiirdigkeiten  einer  Reise  nach  dem  rus- 
sischen  Amerika,  nach  Mikronesien  und  durch  Kamtschatka.  2  vols. 
Gotha,  1858. 

NoRDENSKioLD,  A.  E.  The  voyage  of  the  Vega  round  Asia  and  Europe; 
with  a  historical  review  of  previous  journeys  along  the  north  coast  of 
the  Old  World.  Translated  [from  the  Swedish]  by  Alexander  Leslie. 
2  vols.  London,  1881.  [Chapter  13  contains  references  to  Bering's 
voyages.) 

GuiLLEMARD,  F.  H.  H.  The  cruise  of  the  Marchesa  to  Kamschatka  & 
New  Guinea.  With  notices  of  Formosa,  Liu-Kiu,  and  various  islands 
of  the  Malay  archipelago.    2nd  edit.    London,  1889. 


BuRNEY,  James.  Memoir  on  the  geography  of  the  north-eastern  part 
of  Asia.  London,  1818.  [Paper  read  before  a  scientific  body  in  Lon- 
don in  which  the  author,  who  had  been  with  Cook  in  Bering  Strait, 
insisted  that  it  was  not  conclusively  proved  that  the  Old  World 
and  the  New  World  were  two  distinct  continents.] 

Veniaminov,  Ivan  (Innokentii,  metropolitan  of  Moscow).  Zapiski  ob 
ostrovakh  Unalashkinskago  otdyela.  Izdano  izhdiveniem  Rossiisko- 
Amerikanskoi  Kompanii.  (Notes  on  the  islands  of  the  Unalaska 
district.  Published  at  the  expense  of  the  Russian-American  Company.) 
3  vols,  in  two.    St.  Petersburg,  1840. 

HoLMBERG,  H.  J.  Ethnographische  Skizzen  iiber  die  Volker  des  rus- 
sischen  Amerika.  2  vols.  Helsingfors,  i855-[63].  [Vol.  i  reprinted 
from  Vol.  4  of  the  Acta  of  Finska  Vetenskaps-Societeten;  Vol.  2  is 
a  separate  (pp.  [3S]-ioi)  from  Vol.  7  of  the  Ada.] 

Dall,  W.  H.,  and  George  Gibbs.  Tribes  of  the  extreme  Northwest, 
by  W.  H.  Dall.  Tribes  of  western  Washington  and  northwestern 
Oregon,  by  George  Gibbs.  Conlrihutions  to  North  American  Eth- 
nology, Vol.   I.     Bur.  of  Ethnol.,  Washington,  D.  C.   1877. 

Sluinin,  N.  V.  Okhotsko-Kamchatkii  krai  (Okhotsk- Kamchatka 
region).  Vol.  i.  St.  Petersburg,  1900.  [Description  of  the  natural 
history  of  the  region,  with  map.] 

Ryabushinski,  F.  p.  Kamchatskaya  ekspeditsiya.  Moscow,  191 2. 
[Account  of  a  scientific  expedition  to  Kamchatka  financed  by  the 
author,  on  which  Waldemar  Jochelson,  known  for  his  work  on  the 
Jesup  North  Pacific  Expedition,  was  in  charge  of  ethnology.] 


REFERENCES  371 

Official  Documents,  and  Bibliographies 

Polnoe  sobranie  zakonov  Rossiiskoi  Imperii  (Complete  collection 
of  the  laws  of  the  Russian  Empire).  Vols.  3,  4,  7,  8.  Imperial  Print- 
ing Press,  St.  Petersburg,  ca.  1830. 

Obshchii  morskoi  spisok  (General  navy  list).  13  vols,  and  i  vol.  of 
index.  St.  Petersburg,  1885-1907.  [Useful  in  following  the  careers 
of  the  officers  who  took  part  in  Bering's  voyages.] 

Opisanie  dyyl  arkhiva  Morskago  Ministerstva  s  poloviny  xvii  do  nachala 
xix  stolyetiya  (Description  of  the  papers  in  the  archives  of  the  Min- 
istry of  Marine  from  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  to  the  begin- 
ning of  the  nineteenth  century).  10  vols.  Published  by  direction  of 
the  Ministry  of  Marine,  St.   Petersburg,   1877-1906. 

Dall,  W.  H.,  and  Marcus  Baker.  Partial  list  of  charts,  maps,  and 
publications  relating  to  Alaska  and  the  adjacent  region,  from  Puget 
Sound  and  Hakodadi  to  the  Arctic  Ocean,  between  the  Rocky  and  the 
Stanovoi  Mountains,  in:  Pacific  Coast  Pilot:  Coasts  and  Islands  of 
Alaska,  Second  Series,  pp.  163-374,  U.  S.  Coast  and  Geodetic  Survey, 
Washington,  D.  C,  1879.  [Invaluable  bibliography.  Strong  on  Russian 
sources;  Russian  titles  are  given  in  Cyrillic.  The  contents  of  periodical 
series  are  anal\-zed.  Maps  are  listed  on  pp.  167-223,  text  publications 
on  pp.  225-374.]. 

GoLDER,  F.  A.  Guide  to  materials  for  American  history  in  Russian 
archives.  Carnegie  Instn.  Publ.  No.  23Q.  Washington,  D.  C,  1917. 
[The  documents  relating  to  the  Bering  expeditions  are  mainly  in  the 
archives  of  the  Ministry  of  Marine  (listed  on  pp.  11 9- 130), of  the  Hydro- 
graphic  Section  of  that  Ministry  (pp.  130-136),  and  of  the  General 
Staff  (pp.  116-119).] 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA   AT  LOS  ANGELES 

THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below 


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